


雪辱後の生活

by Sarah_Carter_Rogers



Category: Covert Affairs
Genre: F/M, Penis In Vagina Sex, Post- Walter's Walk, Unsafe Sex, Vaginal Sex, safe sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-10
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:41:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 20,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22646581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sarah_Carter_Rogers/pseuds/Sarah_Carter_Rogers
Summary: This fic started as a response to an event that had me mentally screaming, kicked into overdrive by the end of season 4.A new agent with an impeccable resume kicks the DPD/Agency rumour-mill into high-gear.How will she change the team dynamic.Will she become Annie's new best friend or her biggest rival?This has another fandom in the background (maybe two), will add tag(s) later if it becomes more apparent (welcome to guess until I do.)Dates based on Walter's tapes in "Walter's Walk" (Annie states they ended a week before) last date shown on screen 9th February 2010, 154 days before the episode was aired.
Relationships: Arthur Campbell/Joan Campbell, Auggie Anderson/Annie Walker, ish - Relationship
Kudos: 3





	1. Making Up For The Jai Situation

**Author's Note:**

> I don't speak/write Japanese (other than the very basic stuff I've hung onto since the school certificate) but the title I have cobbled together from [Word Hippo](https://www.wordhippo.com/) "checked" with Google translate.

**Wednesday 17th February 2010**

"Joan?" Arthur called as he entered their house.

"In here." 

Arthur headed for where she had called from, "You know how you were upset about Jai?"

"You talk as if I'm over it."

"Diana St Pierre."

"The agent who exposed Roger Stone?"

"That's the one. She's requested a transfer back stateside." Joan seemed to ponder this, "Say the word and she's yours."

"Tomorrow send me her file, and I'll consider it."

**Monday 1st March 2010**

Two weeks later Joan met the newest acquisition for her department. She had a good feeling about the agent, not just because of Stone.

Joan gave her her first mission, basic surveillance in Australia. Diana and Annie walked out of the DPD together to catch their respective flights. "Word is, you were pulled from training early."

"Is that right?"

"And that you went after Stanislav Orlovski by yourself. Pretty ballsy move for a first timer, no wonder they kept you."

"Nearly got myself killed, it was stupid."

"Ballsy, stupid. The difference is in whether you survive it." Annie laughed at this, "Drinks when we're both back, and you can give the intel on our co-workers."

"Okay."

**Monday 8th March 2010**

Annie returned from her disastrous brush-pass unscathed, a week later Diana returned and the pair sat down to drink at the Parchment, sitting down at the bar "If memory serves they serve a decent Sazerac, do you want one?" Diana asked, Annie nodded "Two Sazeracs, please."

Once their drinks were delivered and the bartender out of earshot Annie asked "You were in London, with Jai, right?"

"That's right, why?"

"His files has done the rounds with the female agents since he arrived..."

"And some of the male agents too, no doubt." Diana took a sip of her drink.

Annie smiled at her comment, she had noticed that too, "Was he always so..."

"Alluring?" 

A gentle smile played across Annie's lips, she wasn't going to admit that to the woman "Mysterious."

"Yes." Diana downed the last of her drink, signalled the bartender for another round. "A few years ago I was his Secret Santa." The bartender place the drinks, "Thank you." smiling sweetly at the man as he left. "I tried everything to find out what the perfect gift for him would be. Got nowhere. From him, from work colleagues."

"What you finally get him?"

"At the time he wore Tom Ford Noir. I got him a more suitable cologne, Tom Ford Azure Lime, it suits him better." A smile crossed her face making Annie uneasy, "What about Auggie?"

"What about him?"

"I know you haven't known him long but has he always been such a..."

"Cheeky blighter?"

"Chick-magnet."

"I guess, the first evening he took me to a bar to unwind and every woman who spoke to him had this tone to their voice..."

Diana laughed, "I know the tone."

Soon the girls had moved on from co-workers to other topics, "Sake?" Diana asked Annie.

"I'm not over fussed on it myself."

Diana looked at the Sakes on offer, "You may have been drinking the cheap cheap stuff." To the bartender, "Sake. That one."

"Heated, chilled or room temperature?"

"Heated, thank you."

He left to fulfil their order, "I've always had Sake chilled, but the way you said 'heated'. It was like you were saying 'are you nuts?'"

"Some sakes it fine, but this particular one is an 'old-fashioned' sake and those you heat. Here..." She passed the list towards her pointing in turn three different sakes, "This is the one I ordered, have this heated, this one is great for summer when it's best served chilled, and this one when the room is not to hot or cold is good for room temperature. At least that's what I find.

"While we wait, why did you join?"

"The usual."

"Ah... Meet a guy, the grand love affair. In the end all your waking up to was a cold bed."

"Yeah. You?"

"Don't know why, or even if I will find 'it'." The bartender returned with the tokkuri and two ochoko for them, he picked up the tokkuri and poured the first drinks. Diana spoke "Thank you" as he left them. "How long ago was it?"

Annie sighed, "Two years."

"Men can be such jerks sometimes." She raised her ochoko in toast.

"Amen to that." raising her ochoko too and clinked them, they drank the sake. "Wow, this is pretty good. I think you were right about the cheap cheap thing."

"Let me guess, you first tried it in the last two years?" She asked as she poured an new glass for Annie, placed the tokkuri to Annie who either took the hint or knew enough about Japanese drinking etiquette to pour Diana one too.


	2. Breach of Protocol

**Monday 8th March 2010**

As the night went on the girls drank till they were buzzed but not intoxicated, they closed out their tab. Annie and Diana walked to the lobby and waited for Annie's cab to arrive, when it did Annie asked "How are you getting home, do you want to split a cab fare?" 

Diana smiled and politely declined her offer, "A friend is going to give me a ride. Goodnight." When Annie had left Diana went to a handsome man waiting seated with his back towards to the pair and sat opposite him. "Hello 'ride'." 

Jai smiled at her, "You and Annie seemed to have hit it off." he stood and offered her his arm, which she took, and lead her outside to his waiting car. "How long have you known I was here?" 

"You arrived as we shifted to sake, sat on the opposite side of the room. Left as we closed out our tab." They reached out to each other, squeezed each others hands. After a few minutes they pulled up to an apartment complex, he led her inside and opened a door to one of the apartments. Once he had ushered her inside he locked the door then she was on him, locking lips and wrapping her arms around his neck. "You're breaking protocol, bringing me to your safe-house. tisk tisk." 

"I was due a change." He locked lips with her again arms around her back, sliding up under her shirt across her bare back. His hands found her bra and with a little effort unhooked the clasps. 

"Glad we're on the same page." As they continued to kiss she pulled her hands from his neck working their way down his chest slowly unhooking the buttons and when they were all undone she ran her hands along the well honed muscles of his chest and upper arm, pushing his shirt and suit jacket slowly off of him. He remove his arms from around her and slid his arms out of the sleeves, leaving the garment to fall were it would. 

He started to work on her blouse, carefully unbuttoning it. When he had finished he slipped it off of her and she slipped her bra off, dropping it haphazardly onto a nearby piece of furniture. Diana wrapped her arms back around his neck, eliciting a sigh and a groan as her breasts brushed against his bare chest as they became compressed between them. Jai wrapped his arms tightly around her, his hand fumbling with the zipper on her skirt. Once he had succeeded she shimmied out of her skirt taking a small step back she unzipped his pants and made for the bedroom, the first door she tried was an non-starter. 

Seeing her in only her underpants, he silently cursed himself for unhooking her bra. She always did look better in red. He slipped off his pants and underwear and followed her into the master suite, the only room with a bed in it. He sidled up behind her, wrapped his arms around her and placed his lips beside her ear, "You should have mentioned you were in red?" 

He slipped his fingers into her panties and inched them lower as she answered in faux-innocence "Should I? Terribly sorry, next time." She stepped out of them and turned to face him as he stood. He grasped the area of her legs just below her butt cheeks, knowing what he had planned she helped with a little pounce of her own and wrapped her legs around his torso. He carried her over to the bed and gently tossed her on to it, eliciting a laugh. She shuffled up the bed as Jai matched her for speed as he crawled on to the bed over her. When she stopped he leaned in to steal a kiss, soft and gentle at first, then steadily more and more possessive. He reached one arm out towards this set of draws at the bedside and fumbled for something that always seemed just out of reach. 

Frustrated he was forced to chose between continuing the kiss or the object, and with a soft vocalisation of said frustration he pulled back a bit from her lips and reached for the item he sort. When he laid his hands on it he pulled back from her, he looked down at her as he opened the package. This drew a laugh from Diana as he slid the item on. While she continued to chuckle, "You had this planned, didn't you?" 

"No. But I was kind of hoping." He leaned over her and started to kiss her, gently sighs and moans escaped them as he reached down between them. He carefully lined up with her entrance and gently slid inside her. When he bottomed out inside her she lifted her legs and wrapped them loosely around his waist. He started moving and they were soon caught up in the pleasure that their joining elicited from them. Once they were finished Jai lay down with Diana and slowly caressed her cheek, it wasn't long before the pair had drifted off to sleep together. 

**Tuesday 9th March 2010**

Jai woke the next morning alone, he looked around the room for Diana and couldn't find her. He was about to get up out of bed when she entered dressed in her underwear carrying two steaming cups. She smiled at him, placed their cups before leaning in to kiss him. "morning." 

He raised his hand to her cheek and replied in kind, "morning. What time is it?" 

"Early, I need to get home to change." she seemed to hesitate. 

"What?" 

"Annie... she told me a bit about her failed relationship two years ago. Is she the reason Ben fell off the map?" 

"Why do you think she is? A lot of people were in relationships that failed two years ago." 

"So you're saying that Ben didn't disappear because he fell in love with a moralistic woman like Annie? 

"Moving on to more unpleasant topics... I need to go, do you have any plans for this evening?" 

"Probably, my father is stopping by today to go over details of the dedication, I'll have to escort him around. He will probably want to have drinks..." 

"Probably criticise you for moving back from London at Arthur's behest." She got dressed in her clothes from the night before leaning down to kiss him goodbye before turning to leave his safe-house. 


	3. 'Henry the terrible'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this chapter is so dialogue heavy, this fic started with an idea from the end of season 4.

**Tuesday 9th March 2010**

Diana entered behind a flustered and over burdened Annie. "Hey Annie," 

"Hey." Diana felt sorry for the 'new-girl' at the sound of her voice, "Your coffee is the one..." 

Diana reach for a paper mug, "This one?" a slightly strained affirmative had her removing it, "That'll lighten your load just a little. Man, I don't miss coffee runs." Turning to her, a reassuring smile on her lips, "As soon as there is a new 'new-girl' or guy you'll be off the hook." 

"Not soon enough." Annie replied as she went off on her rounds. 

* 

After the meeting ended Annie, Auggie and Diana continued to talk about the case, "Why did Joan say I might have a shot because I'm new?" 

"McAuley is Christopher McAuley. He was a deep-cover officer for 15 years. Knew everyone important that had anything to do with east Africa. One of his old contacts might know something about Hasaan's movements, but McAuley retired five years ago." 

Puzzled Annie asked, "Why do I feel like I'm still missing something?" 

"Well, when I say he retired, I mean he had a nervous breakdown, quit the CIA, moved to middle-of-nowhere, Virginia, and hasn't contacted us since." Annie didn't feel confident about what she was being asked to do, "I can actually hear you frowning." 

"On a scale of none to a lot, how many people have tried to bring him in?" 

"Almost every senior person in that room." 

"So this is basically a fool's errand?" 

"You could think of it more of a hazing ritual if it makes you feel better." 

Annie seemed at a loss, "Be careful on the drive, Annie. McAuley is ex-CIA, and you know what they say about ex-CIA?" 

"What?" 

"That there's no such thing, like I said. Be careful." Diana left Annie dumbfounded as she headed to her desk. 

* 

Later that morning Jai approached Diana at her desk, folder in hand. Placing the folder into her In-box he leaned onto the side of the desk. 

Diana flipped open the folder and looked at the first page of the file, "Johnson has you doing his grunt work, has he?" 

A smile crossed Jai's face that spoke to the laugh that he didn't let out, "No. It's called procrastination." 

"Your father?" The subtle lift of an eyebrow was all the answer she needed, "You do realise he will see this as a power play?... And it will do nothing to shorten how long you will have to 'put-up' with him." 

"I know, but one can hope." He looked at his watch before leaning in to whisper something into her ear. "How about we meet after? I can tell you what happens when my father comes to the office." 

"Or we could not." A smile that draws forth a small laugh crosses her lips. 

"Or not." With that he left. 

* 

Jai left the DPD and headed to the Atrium where he knew his father would be waiting. "Sorry. Busy day." To the escorts "Thanks, fellas." 

A slight smile crossed the face of Henry Wilcox, "Keeping the old man waiting, huh? Bit of a power play?" 

Looking pointedly at the man Jai observed, "You're still in your raincoat, dad. You just walked through the door yourself." 

"You caught me." 

"You know you actually have to put that on? Protocol." 

"There should be special badges for people who ran the place for ten years." 

"Dad, they are dedicating the new ops centre to you in two days. You expect new badges too?" 

"What makes you think I expect anything, son? I'm just happy to be here." 

* 

Diana looked out the glass doors of the DPD and saw Arthur talking to Henry Wilcox, Jai a quiet observer to the two men. 

She replaced the file in the draw and stood, walking to the raised area where Annie and Auggie were talking. 

"Henry Wilcox is here and he's talking to Arthur." 

"Where?" 

"Your 8:00, Auggie." Diana answered as she joined them. This had the effect of causing Auggie to move around Annie as if seeking shelter. Diana smiled at this, she understood all to well. 

"What the heck was that?" 

"If anyone's going to be sucked in by his evil vortex, I'd prefer it be you." 

"Actually he would prefer anyone but him being between him and Henry Wilcox, not that I can blame him." 

"Oh, thanks." 

"I'm nothing, if not cautious." This elicited a laugh from Diana, "Got to love they're gonna dedicate our shiny new centre to someone with a lot of dirt on his hands." 

"You sound like you're channelling Liza Hearne." 

Diana explained, "When you're the former DCS and your most notable stat is that you ran more dark ops than anyone since the cold war, you got to expect some commentary." 

Auggie continued "Hey, you know the story about Henry and Jai's mum, right?" 

"No." Annie answered in genuine interest. 

"Well, she was his asset when he was stationed in India. Her cover was blown. Henry married her. They became the Romeo and Juliet of the agency." 

"That's romantic." 

"It was until he left her for a younger woman and then it just became a cliché." 

"Don't you think you're being a little harsh?" 

"I'm being easy. Remember, we are referring to the man who is affectionately known by half the press as _'the prince of darkness'._ " Auggie winced as Annie's heel made contact, "I'm assuming by the sudden silence and the stiletto in my shin, Jai has joined us." 

"My favourite was always _'Satan's little helper'_. Has such a nice ring to it, don't you think?" Diana laughed at Auggie's discomfort at being caught out. 

"Well... I'm off to do anything else." Auggie returned to his office. 

"What's your father doing here?" 

"Going over details of the dedication. A.K.A., making Arthur's life as much of a hell as possible." 

"I think it's a bad idea to name something after someone still alive in this business." Said Diana 

"Why is that?" 

"Because the dead, can't disappoint." 

"Can I buy you a cup of coffee? Regale you with stories of _'Henry the terrible'_?" 

"I think I would need alcohol to hear those stories." 

"Perfect. Allen's tavern after work." 

"Are you asking me on a date?" 

"Trust me, Annie. I've seen him flirt, up-close. If he was asking you out on a date, you'd know it." Diana left the conversation and returned to her desk and the work she had abandoned there. 

"And our first date will not be at Allen's tavern." 

"What makes you think we're gonna have a first date?" 

"You're the one who brought up dating. I just brought up drinks."


	4. The Other Woman

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I don't know Japanese. As before, I used [Word Hippo](https://www.wordhippo.com/).

**Tuesday 9th March 2010**

"Diana" Joan called across the bullpen, "A word." 

Diana closed out the program she was in and went to Joan's office, "あなたの日本語はどうですか (Anata no Nihongo wa dōdesu ka)" Joan asked in the tense intonation of an American education. 

"熱燗や提灯とのより良いです (Atsukan ya chōchin to no yoriyoidesu)" Diana responded in the soft tone that would be the envy of many native speakers. 

"No need to show off." Joan handed her a folder, "You will be leaving for Japan this afternoon, nothing to flash just a simple meet and greet... Which given the way you and Annie work means I will probably need..." She pulled a pill container out of the desk draw, shook it and said to herself, "Damn, Go before I change my mind, and please keep the trouble to a minimum." 

Diana left Joan's office with the file, later that day she was boarding a plane bound for Tokyo. 

**Wednesday 10th March 2010**

Diana entered the hotel suite she was booked into, she dropped the bags of shopping she had managed to squeeze in. She got changed and pulled out her phone, diving on to the bed she dialled. "Good evening." Came the jaunty greeting. 

"Technically correct, its after nine. Do you know what I am doing right now?" 

"No, what?" 

"I'm looking in the mirror, I'm wearing that red lingerie you like so much," 

Jai's voice noticeable caught as he spoke, "Really?" 

"I'm sliding off the straps... unhooking the bra..." 

"You do realise I'm at work right?" 

"You don't want me to play with you? Okay. I'm just going to bed, it's just me and my hand tonight." She breaths in deep and lets out a sensuous sigh. 

I took a moment for Jai to speak, "I really wish I was there now." 

"So do I." 

Diana heard the sounds of their boss speaking near Jai, "Is that Diana?" the sound of the phone being passed caused Diana to hang up. A smile crossed her lips as thoughts of what she would be returning home to filled her dreams. 

* 

Diana woke up again at just after one am local time, doing the conversion in her head she called Jai again. While sleep tinged her voice she would not be deterred, "Good afternoon." 

She could hear the smile on his face as he answered, "Technically correct, please tell me this is not more of the same." 

"No, I just needed to hear your voice. I forgot to ask, how did drinks with your dad go." 

"You called it, he criticised my returning." 

"I think there was more to it, right?" 

"Annie came over part way through, wanted to 'take me up on my earlier offer'." 

"Least you didn't have to face your father alone." 

"I wish I had, towards the end I felt like a third wheel. 

"Really?" 

"They were talking about why people leave our field after a few years. According to my father, if you get past the excuses they leave for money or love." 

"He's not wrong?" 

"E tu brute." 

"It's not just our line of work. Every major life changing decision can be whittled down to love or money. Sometime both. Look at Annie, she joined because of a lost love." She yawned. "Dear me." 

"I can do the conversion, get back to sleep. Call me when your coming home." 

Diana ignored him, "Do you know why Annie took the conversation in that direction?" 

"No, why?" 

Diana yawned again, louder, "One word, McAuley. I bet she left soon after the love or money bit." Jai didn't answer, "You're right, I should go." 

"Okay, good night." 

**Friday 12th March 2010**

A simple meet and greet became not so simple and it was evening a few day later before Diana return to the office. She quickly typed up and printed her report, taking it to Joan's office. Unsurprisingly she was still there. "I have my report, Joan." Diana held it out for her, "Anything else?" 

Joan took it and looked it over, "No this seems fine." 

Diana turned to leave, as her hand reached for the door handle, Diana smiled looking back at her boss, "Good night, Joan." she opened the door. 

Joan went back to reading another file farewelled Diana, "Good night." 

* 

Diana dozed in bed later that night, she barely registered the front door open and close, it wasn't until a weight settled on the bed that she looked. Jai reached out to move her fringe from her eyes, "Hey, didn't expect to see you here." 

"I missed you. Now get changed and come to bed, I want to be held." 

"Yes ma'am." He said with a cheeky smile on his face. By the time he was changed she had fallen asleep so he crawled in beside her and drew her close before settling in for the night. 

**Tuesday 16th March 2010**

Jai crossed to Diana's desk, "Joan wants everyone in the conference room." 

Diana closed the program, "Okay, see you in there." Jai walked off to the conference the room as Diana logged out and headed to join the others. 

Joan spoke to the gathered agents as she moved to the head of the table where footage being play, "This drone is programmed to drop Hellfire missiles on a meeting of all-star tribal leaders." Joan took a moment for the footage to finish, a perfect drone strike. "What's wrong with this picture?" 

Diana spoke up to the rhetorical question, "Looks like a perfect strike, was our intel wrong." 

"No one was there." 

"They knew we were coming." 

"This is the third mission in two weeks that has been compromised. After the first, we shut down assets in Syria and Iraq... To no avail. 

"So it's happening on our side." Diana barely beat one of the guys to this observation. 

"That was the theory. We also limited briefings to essential personnel in clandestine services. Mission details still got out." 

"Who could it be?" 

"There's really only one possibility left." 

"A senator?" Diana half asked- half answered. 

"More specifically, a member of the intelligence committee. They have compartmented clearance higher than top secret. Only they have access to these missions." Everyone was stunned by this. 

"I don't have to tell you all how big this is. No member of the Senate's been convicted for treason since 1797." Jai reminded them. 

"Wasn't he impeached?" Diana whispered in Jai's ear, she felt his hand brush her dangling one. 

"But how? The senate intelligence briefing room is secure. No documents. Not even notes can be taken out." Annie ignored Diana's little aside and asked. 

"Well, that's where all of you come in. Each of you will use your NOC to gain access to a targeted senator. Jai's running point on this." 

"Okay. Read-in privileges. There are none. This is completely off book. If the senate knew we were spying on them in their own backyard, we'd have another FISA situation." Jai explained the delicate nature of the investigation. 

"Why are we doing it?" Annie asked the agent next to her, who simply shrugged. 

Joan answered her, "Because you're young and you're nobody. You'll fit in perfectly on Capitol Hill." 

Joan and Jai divided up the senators between the agents, "Senator Nathaniel MacTiernan." Jai spoke as he went to hand a file to one of the agents. 

"He has a son, 6'1" to 6'3", build of a jock, typical black Irish facial features. Not in daddy's good graces. Name of Brody MacTiernan. That Nathaniel MacTiernan?" 

Joan looked puzzled, "Yes." 

"He's studying in Japan, when I was there last week he tried to invite me to his place for some 'coffee'. He talked a lot about himself before they needed to drag him to a cab. From what I can recall MacTiernan ran on a family values platform. I can work that angle." 

"Give her MacTiernan." 

"Another thing, has anyone looked into the senators' medical. They wouldn't need notes if they have hyperthymesia." Stunned silence crossed the agents. 

Jai spoke, "I'll look into that." 

"Odds are against it. Also are we focusing on only the senators. If I wanted this sort of information I would look for lower hanging fruit." 

Joan spoke, "Diana, go! You have your own senator to investigate." Diana got up and left. 

* 

Once the agents had been assigned a senator they slowly filtered out of the room. Annie and two other agents were walking out together. "Who'd ya get?" Annie asked the pair. 

"Darton. Lame duck facing ethics charges. I like my chances." The first agent answered. 

The other agent spoke next, "I got Wallenberg." 

"Isn't he the only one who opposed the war?" Annie asked. 

"Oh, yeah. Who'd you get?" 

"Jarvis." 

"Gil Jarvis. The committee chair." The second agent laughs 

"He's not the leak." finished the first agent. 

"Joan basically said that." Annie said as the three of them laughed at the absurdity. Annie saw Diana walk out the double glass door, wondering about what she had said. "Remember what Diana said?" 

"About what?" The first agent asked. 

"Broadening your mind, look beyond the senators. What do you think she meant?" The pair just shrugged and went their separate ways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Small hint to another fandom, very small, contained in this chapter. When these episodes aired it hadn't. When it is revealed it may make some sense why Diana is ahead. Kinda, sorta, maybe.
> 
> I saw in an interview of an actress on I think Westworld about how she was asked about where she learned by native Japanese speakers. Hence comment about Diana "showing off".
> 
> [William Blount](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Blount), was the senator Jai alludes to in the episode Houses of the Holy. He was impeached and in it the vote was 14 to 11 to dismiss the impeachment. I briefly glance at the page and it seems he was involved in some shady land deal with foreigners, hence treason. Couldn't find reference to a trial though.


	5. The Other Women

**Tuesday 16th March 2010**

Annie saw Diana across the car park, talking on her phone. She seemed to be in the same place when she had left. Crossing the parking to the entrance she looked back. Diana's car was pulling out of her space as Annie entered the building. 

When Annie entered the DPD she headed for her desk. Five minutes later she was idly drawing on a spare pad when Jai Wilcox came up beside her, leaning on her desk. "You look perplexed." 

"Perplexed?" 

"Puzzled. Confused. In need of a drink with a co-worker." 

"I can't. Jarvis has a secret meeting in his office Tuesday nights after the intel briefing. I have to find out who's invited and what goes on." 

"Ah. And you think you're going to find an answer doodling... Curly, twirly thingies?" 

"Pin-wheels. No. You're right. I have to go back, don't I?" 

"If you want answers, you have to dig. Remember, these senators aren't gods. They wanna be liked and they wanna succeed. They're fallible. Just like you and me." Jai leans in and whispers, "Just don't get caught." before leaving her to plan. 

* 

Diana drove to a pre-arrange spot and waited. A man opened the door and hoped in. He was a man of 6'2" in height with the well honed build of a jock and the typical black Irish facial features that would make many women swoon. "Have you chosen a new name yet?" 

A small huff left his lips, "Yeah James 'Jimmy' Parker." Brody MacTiernan turned to look at her a small smile crossed his lips. 

"Your father and several of his colleagues are currently being investigated by the CIA. I told them that you tried to pick me up and big noted yourself, giving me material I could use. I was assigned to his case. Can you help?" 

He pulled out a tablet, opened one of the apps and handed it to her. "A friend arranged a back-door into all my families computers so I can keep up to date on their lives." 

She took the tablet, "A normal person would say you should talk to them." She started to look through Senator Nathaniel MacTiernan digital life. 

"He wants to know why you're still insitu, with Stone dealt with what's keeping you there?" 

She sighed, 'he' probably already knew, "It's not a what but a who, I meet someone. If I don't screw it up." A few more flicks before she handed the tablet back, smiled at 'Jimmy' "Thank you, I expected to be ignored. Like you said, I completed my mission." 

He took the tablet and with the parting words, "Be careful." He got out of her car and she left. 

Diana arrived at the senate offices, found Senator MacTiernan's car and waited. Every Tuesday after the intel briefing he had an appointment with 'B'. Going back through MacTiernan's calendar showed they only started after Brody had last made regular contact with his family, around the time the first operation was compromised. 

MacTiernan's car pulled out of the spot and drove, Diana followed him until he pulled into the parking lot of Walter Reed. Diana walked into the facility and made way for the stairs as MacTiernan headed for the elevator. Once she was on the same floor as the senator she slipped into the doctors lounge and grabbed an coat and clip board. 

* 

Annie left Auggie to his work as Jai came down from Joan's office, "Two more senators cleared. Pack is thinning." 

"Now we know Jarvis isn't only corruptible but vulnerable." 

"Hmm. Little too vulnerable. Nice digging. I did a little on my own." Jai handed her the file her was carrying. 

"Ashley's not his first, I take it." 

"Not even his third. He uses cash for most of the mistress upkeep, like jewellery and vacations. But he can't seem to resist using membership cards to get points at the restaurants." 

"Classy." 

"Current squeeze Ashley rowed all four years at Colgate. Her bank statements show membership dues at the Congressional Rowing Club." 

"I'll pay her a visit, do a little girl bonding." 

"Oh, remember. Jarvis holds the CIA purse strings. If you're wrong about Ashley Briggs, it's a misfire. If you're wrong about Jarvis, we'll be lucky to get funding for Commodore 64s. Good luck." Jai turned once more and went back to work. 

"Thanks. Thanks for that." Annie said to herself. 

**Wednesday 17th March 2010**

Diana walking in, a collection of papers in hand. She headed towards Jai's desk and placed it on-top of his work. "I can't speak to the first op, but I have serious doubts that MacTiernan is responsible for the rest. 

"The first op to be compromised was Operation Cauldron. The team sent in was decimated. One of the injured, a Corporal William 'Bill' Tanner, was medi-evaced all the way to Walter Reed. MacTiernan has been visiting him every week after the briefing since he arrived." 

Jai had been looking through the pages she had produced, "Other than he is a constituent of MacTiernan's, what is so special about Corporal William Tanner?" 

"Nothing. Except that Corporal Tanner. Is MacTiernan's godson. If he was responsible for the first one, then faced with the consequences a second would have been... well." 

"Unthinkable. Fortunately Annie may have a compelling suspect. Most of the rest have been cleared, the rest are about to be. Annie found that Senator Javis has his PA do more than taking notes after the briefing, if you catch my drift." 

Diana leaned in, "Perhaps next time we get a chance, you can 'show' me." Just then Jai's phone rang. 

Diana could just make out from the tone that it was Annie, "I just emailed you a draft of a memo I found in Madeline's desk. She must have written it." Jai held the handset so that Diana could hear what Annie was saying, "It's a resignation speech from the senator. He says he's gonna quit because Ashley sold our secrets. Jai, the senator's not the leak. Ashley's not the leak. His wife's the leak. And she's gonna frame Ashley for it. Is that indisputable enough for ya?" 

"Annie, you just hooked a whale." He hung up once Annie was off the line, they looked over the email Annie had sent and true to her word it was exactly what she said, "I better tell Joan." leaned in close, breathing in her perfume, "I'm going to need a rain-check on 'show'ing you." 

She whispered in his ear, "Okay." Before getting up to leave, Jai followed suit and they each went their respective ways. 

* 

Hours later there was a meeting between Joan and some FBI and White House representatives, where she debriefed them on the agency's investigation. It was not long after that Annie brought Mrs. Jarvis in to learn the full extent of the damage she had done. 

Afterward Joan led Annie into her office, closing the door, "Ashley was the last mistress Madeline Jarvis was willing to tolerate. Now you have to tell Ashley to take the fall." 

Annie was stunned, "Excuse me?" 

"The Indonesians need to believe that their plan is up and running." Joan preceded to explain, "That way we can use Madeline to feed false information and trace where it goes. Ashley has to be taken into custody for espionage, Annie. We're gonna give her a new life." 

"All she did was get involved with the wrong guy." 

"Who was married. Who was her boss. Think of her as a cautionary tale. Workplace romances are always complicated, Annie, no matter how common it is." Annie turned to leave, at the last second she heard Joan, "Send in Diana on your way out." 

* 

A few minutes later Diana knocked at Joan's door, "Annie said you wanted to speak to me?" 

Joan waved her in, "Yes, I just gave this warning to Annie. But I feel you may benefit also." She came out from behind her desk, "Despite how common they are, workplace dalliances are always complicated, and rarely end well. 

"Arthur brought Jai here. The first chance you got, you followed him. Don't make the mistake of hitching your career to a man. You are worth ten of him, you are capable of doing so much more than this office allows. 

"If you ever decide to serve elsewhere, where your skills can be better utilised. Don't hesitate to ask." 

"So your the exception that proves the rule. And if you are trying to suggest that his flirting with Annie is anything more than professional, you don't know him. I know that Annie's first op almost ended in her death if not for Ben Mercer." 

"Agent Baldwin, was responsible for that." 

"Really?" Diana gave Joan a knowing smile, not waiting to be dismissed, and left Joan to her work.


	6. Boy, I love my job.

**Tuesday 13th April 2010**

Annie was walking along a hallway on the way to the DPD when she heard a familiar voice from behind her, "Has anybody ever told you you look amazing in that colour?" 

"Why do I have the feeling you're about to?" Annie couldn't help the smile cross her face as she resisted the urge to roll her eyes. 

"What do you call that colour, anyway?" 

"Uhm. Blue." 

The pair arrive at the double door to the DPD and Jai, ever the gentleman, opens the door for Annie. "Well, blue really suits you." 

The pair enter and soon come across an excitable Auggie Anderson, "Briefing time, kids. You do not wanna miss this one." 

Annie was curious, asked "Why are you so happy? " 

"I'm going to Datatech." 

Annie had clearly never heard of this "Data-what? 

Jai supplied her with the answer, "Datatech. It's a computer security conference. It's like comic-con for nerds." Diana entered the DPD behind them, overheard the conversation. 

"Isn't that just comic-con?" 

"Oh, Har. " Auggie was used to this type of misinformation. 

"Hope you don't mind me jumping in, but Annie. Comic-con is for geeks, Datatech is for nerds. Computer Science based nerds at least. 

"Aren't geeks and nerds the same." 

"No, they aren't." Diana responded before heading to her desk, leaving the trio to continue their conversation. 

Jai explained, "A couple of years ago, some national security genius decided it would be a good idea to sit down with the black-hat types. Now, twice a year, 1,000 hackers converge on Washington and 1,000 law enforcement types pick their brains and, in many cases, hire them." 

"And this has him wound up because...?" 

"He's a dork. And it was his cover." 

"Oh, and it will be again." Auggie couldn't keep the glee from his voice at that. 

* 

Annie, Auggie, Jai and Diana joined the rest of the department for Joan's briefing of the case, "This morning, a well-coordinated cyber attack took down civil communication systems in the D.C. area. It also briefly disrupted our secure satellite link. The hack is reminiscent of a 2007 event that temporarily disabled phone service to the Pentagon. But this one takes advantage of a security flaw we've never seen before." 

"The Pentagon believes that select government servers may be susceptible to this hack." Barber continued. 

Annie asked, "Isn't cyber crime FBI territory?" 

"Cyber crime is, cyber terrorism is not." responded Joan. 

"Everyone's gonna want a piece of this one... Spy agencies, terror groups, organised crime." Observed Jai. 

"Peeping Toms, stalkers, paedophiles, sex offenders as well as everyday crims. They could stalk their prey, wipe their records. Steal or murder with impunity." Diana continued. 

Auggie asked, "So who do we think did the hack?" 

"We've been analysing the code and a familiar name has popped up." Joan continued 

This elicited a "Wow" from Jai. "You're gonna find this interesting." 

"What? No. No." Auggie said as he continued to read the Braille brief in front of him. 

"Natasha Petrovna appears to be behind the attack." 

"What is it?" Asked Annie, curious. 

"Natasha Petrovna is my ex-girlfriend." 

"Natasha Petrovna, born and raised in St. Petersburg, graduate degree in computer security from Lomonsov university, now a member of the Swedish-founded pirate bureau." 

"A card-carrying anarchist." 

"Barber from tech intel will fill you in." 

"Natasha was busted two years ago for illegally accessing department of agriculture servers." 

"She was demonstrating a firewall hack. There was no further intent." 

"Ah, justice department didn't think so. She just spent two years at Danbury women's correctional centre." 

"Yeah, I'm well aware." 

"So much for 'equality and justice for all'." Diana muttered almost under her breath. 

"That's where Martha Stewart did her time. That's pretty good company." 

"Paroled in February, it seems that Ms. Petrovna is back to her old ways. The infection vectors from this morning's hack were classic Petrovna. Elegant, efficient, and pointed." 

"That's Natasha all right." 

Joan picked up where Barber left, "Auggie, we're sending you to datatech to reunite with Natasha and negotiate a consulting deal." 

"We're gonna pay her off?" 

"We're the only government agency who can. We'll go as high as 2 million." 

"Natasha's father was a political prisoner under Brezhnev." Auggie tried to explain, "She hates the government. If we try to pay her off, she's only gonna stonewall us more." 

"Well, we've had very good luck at this agency using money to get people to re-examine their ideals. 

Diana agreed, "Auggie's right. All the gold in Fort Knox couldn't buy her." 

Joan wouldn't be moved, "Annie, you're gonna be his eyes. Datatech is already under-way. There's not a moment to lose." With that the department was effectivly dismissed, everyone went about their business. Diana silently wish Annie and Auggie luck as she returned to her own work. 

* 

Jai sidled up to Diana's desk, "So you don't think Auggie can do it?" 

"He would have better luck trying to hold back the tide. Petrov Antonovich died less than a year after being released. What does that tell you?" 

Jai absorbed that, "That Auggie has a snowballs chance in hell." Jai noticed Annie and Auggie walking to his office, talking to Joan. "That doesn't look promising." 

* 

"Okay, police found the SUV abandoned at a bus stop about a mile from the hotel. Traffic cameras photographed these two." 

Annie recognised them, "Those are the guys from the conference. They were the ones arguing with Natasha." 

"That's Alexander Markov and Yuri Tretiak. These guys are career criminals with ties to the RBN crime syndicate. 

"Makes sense. Cyber crime is evolving. It's mafia 2.0. Damn it. Organised crime is FBI territory. Okay, package up what we have and send it to them. God, I hate playing second chair." 

"What about Natasha?" 

"FBI are gonna have to deal with that when they find her." 

"FBI? She's in danger." 

"She's not our problem any-more." 

"I told her we'd protect her." 

"The bureau is telling everyone that CIA interfered with an investigation. We've played our cards, it's over." 

"So this is how it goes? Natasha gets the screw again because of an inter-agency pissing match. Boy, I love my job." Auggie left, walking out of the DPD. 

**Wednesday 14th April 2010**

After stopping the Russians Auggie started getting dressed. "Get dressed. Fast. We're gonna have to jump." 

In disbelief Natasha asked, "We're gonna jump off a moving train? 

"We'll slow down at Niagara on the lake for coupling to the Canadian system. The FBI will jump on then, and we'll jump off." The horn of the train rings out in the darkness, "Okay, the FBI will start at the ends and work their way in. Do you see anybody out there?" 

"They're out there, they're coming." 

"Good. They can't set up on the eastern side because of the lake." They could hear the police sirens, "When you see the ops team coming in the back door, that's when we go." 

"I'm a big girl, Auggie. I can take it from here." 

"Tash, I couldn't help you before. I am not abandoning you now." 

"What if I told you I couldn't give you the code? If I didn't have it? Would you still help me?" 

"Yes. Yes, I want to help you." 

"That's the answer I wanted to hear." She leaned in and whispered something to him over the sound of the brakes application, when she pulled back she told him, "I love you, Auggie." And with that she was gone. 

"Natasha!" 

* 

Hours later Auggie sat with Joan in her office, "I know what you wanna hear. That I knew Natasha had the hack the whole time and I was just playing her. Working her like an asset to get it back. But the truth... I don't know." 

"In order to be a good operative, you need to play on emotions. And sometimes that means you have to become emotional yourself." 

"Is that a compliment?" 

"It is. And just for variety, here's a threat to go along with it. Don't ever do what you did again. Have you heard from her?" 

"No. No, I don't imagine I'll ever talk to her again." 

"Do you believe her, that the program was destroyed?" 

"Yes, she seemed genuinely rattled by whom ever had found her. Though I don't think the threat was what rattled her the most, I think it was the possiblity that her code could be used to actually kill someone that shook her."


	7. Miss Bond

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't like the two episodes after Communications Breakdown, they're difficult to write for. So I have skipped them entirely. All I could come up for them was piss-take, not that I don't mind a little piss-take now and then, but they were a bridge too far.  
> This chapter picks up with episode 10 I Can't Quit You Baby. This episode was the first since Walter's Walk to have a hard date shown (interrogation camera, on tripod, display).  
> Chapter is heavy on canon dialogue with edits for OC.

**Tuesday, July 27th 2010**

The team was watching a video from a security camera at an airport, the man at customs spoke "Excuse me. These are medical supplies. They've already been papered and pre-cleared at the U.S. embassy in London." 

"What's his name?" asked Arthur. 

"Don Ridley. Runs a medical supply house in Brooklyn." Joan answered without looking back. 

"Looks like a pharmacist." Arthur observed. 

"A nervous pharmacist." Joan corrected him. 

"Guilty pharmacist." Jai and Diane observed at nearly identical moments. 

"His name popped up in some chatter we picked up in Angola." Branch further added. 

"Angola." Arthur observed, almost to himself. 

"Can we get closer on the crate, please?" Joan asked/ordered. 

"Rough diamonds." 

On screen Ridley has a panicked look on his face, his fight or flight instincts kicked in. His body chose flight, he ran until finally he was cornered in a restricted access hallway. "Hands up. On the floor." demanded one of the agents on screen. 

"Joan, who's running the interrogation?" Arthur asked his wife. 

"The bureau. We have two guys there from the New York station, and we'll monitor from here." she answered. Arthur drew Joan off to the side and lead her to her office. 

Once the pair were out of earshot Diane made note, "I have a feeling either Joan's going to be working late or Arthur is going to be sleeping on the couch." Jai looked at her, he could tell just by the sound of her voice that she felt sorry for the pair. They worked in an industry that made a normal happy marriage exceedingly difficult. 

* 

By the time the bureau had moved Ridley to an interrogation room the members of the DPD involved had moved to the conference room. Listening to one of the answers Jai observed, "He's been back and forth to London twenty times in the past eight months, each time with a pre-screened manifest arranged by the U.S. Embassy." 

"Mm...hmm. Someone at the embassy's involved." Joan vocalised what they all knew. 

"We're drilling down on it." Branch offered. 

"How much were those diamonds worth?" Joan asked the room. 

Branch answered, "$1.5 million using the Rappaport scale." 

"Financing arms for Angolan insurgents, huh?" Jai theorised out loud. 

"Well, that's our best guess now, but whatever those diamonds were financing, Ridley was the conduit, the courier." Joan responded. 

"Not any-more." Diana pointed out. 

"No, and that's got to be a pretty big loss to whoever was running him." 

"Huge." Jai agreed. 

"Wouldn't it be a wonderful thing if we could open that conduit back up?" Joan posited, "What if we could replace him with one of our people?" 

Diana seemed to ponder this aloud, "I wonder who we're gonna ask to do that?" It was a rhetorical question, there was only one option in this department. Annie. 

* 

"Annie. How'd you like a trip to London?" Joan greeted her agent as she entered the conference room, a smile on her face. 

"Now that would be just stupid to refuse." Auggie whispered in her ear, clearly regarding something said between the two. Annie looked like she was resisting the urge to elbow him in the stomach. 

"Ridley's expediter at the embassy has been a young vice-consul named Vivian Long." Branch began to brief her. 

"Expediter?" Annie had never heard that term. 

Jai informed her, "One of the roles consular services plays is aiding U.S. businesses while working abroad. They help with trade manifests, custom clearances, you name it." 

"Ms. Long had Ridley's shipment pre-papered through customs so they wouldn't be inspected." Branch continued. 

"Clearly giving him more help than he deserved or needed. She's definitely complicit." Joan noted. 

"I spoke to the consul general. He described her as hard-working, likeable and without much of a social life." Diana offered on their 'target'. 

Auggie asked, "An American Bridget Jones?" 

"It looks like." Diana agreed. 

"You know, she actually applied to the agency." Jai picked up the thread of conversation, "But she couldn't pass the athletic portion of the physical." 

"She doesn't look like a bad guy." Annie noted out loud. 

"Well, she's certainly doing someone favours." Joan noted before getting to the point of her being there, "And one of those favours is going to be recruiting you." 

"Okay." Annie sounded uncertain as she asked, "Am I missing something?" 

"With Ridley out of commission, they'll be needing a new courier." Diana explained, "The Smithsonian constantly shifts stuff back and forth to the U.K." 

Auggie brings the point home, "Your cover makes you the perfect candidate to take Ridley's place." 

Joan explained the plan, "It's a flip on what case officers usually do. This time, you will be the mark. You will be the one putting herself in a compromising position so that you can be turned and used." 

"You would be operating completely on your own." Diana filled in the details, "Your phone will be unencrypted. Everything you do, everything you're carrying will be examined by them before they approach you." 

Jai picked up the slack there, "Now, Diana and I will be coming over with you, but we can't have any contact. It's a deep cover operation." 

"Just how are we planning on compromising me?" Annie sounded uncertain. 

"Your file says you enjoy playing craps from time to time." Joan explained, "Annie Walker of the Smithsonian is going to have a very serious gambling problem." 

**Wednesday, July 28th 2010**

Diana and Jai walked into a spacious bullpen, Diana took a deep whiff, "Burned coffee and stale doughnuts." 

"The bat cave never changes." Jai finished her thought. 

"You look like crap." Roach said by way of greeting. 

"Aw, so do you." Jai couldn't help the dig. 

"Thank you. You sleep on the plane?" 

"Not enough." Diana grumbled. 

"Langley says you have a backtrack on Ridley." 

Roach got down to business, "Yeah, it's a start. Ten-thousand closed-circuit cameras in the city, and only half work. Here's Ridley unloading the cases at the airport with Vivian. We tracked him back from unloading, driving out from the city, all the way to Camden." 

"Any stops?" Jai asked. 

"Nothing. We lost him somewhere in the warehouse district. It must be where he picked up the diamonds. There's no medical warehouse in the vicinity." 

"And Vivian Long?" Enquired Diana. 

"I can't believe she'd be involved in something like this. Had us fooled completely. Background's clean, bona fides real. My people have got no idea what they got on her, but we're digging." 

"Dig carefully. She could be valuable to us." Jai instructed as Diana tapped her way through an SMS. 

* 

Annie and Vivian were at her cubicle going over paperwork, "You have to sign there, there, and there. Basically, it says if anything happens to the shipment, it's your fault, not ours. Joke." 

"So is this what you guys do?" 

"We do commerce, visa apps, marriage approvals for green cards. We provide bail, roadside assistance. Kidding. So, no, we do a lot more than commerce." 

Annie noticed Jai and Diana with another man walking by the cubicles, "Who are those guys?" 

Vivian looked to who Annie was referring to, "Basement people." 

"And that means..." 

"They do the jobs that don't exist." 

"They're spooks?" 

"But you didn't hear that from me." As Annie finished the paperwork she continued, "You wouldn't believe how bad spies are at keeping secrets." 

"Isn't it their job?" Annie placed enough disbelief, even though she knew this to be true, more or less. 

"Well, yeah. But give them a non-classified secret and they spread it faster then a naked flame through a gasoline soaked clothing store." 

"Like what?" Annie found she couldn't help but ask, hoping for an outsiders perspective on her two co-workers. 

"That woman, and the Indian guy... According to one of their co-workers they're an item. They call them Chai-Latte, because..." 

"Because he's pouring his Chai into her Latte?" 

Vivian laughed at that, "Exactly." 

* 

As Jai, Diana and Roach sat in the back of the vehicle Diana handed her phone to Jai, a photo displayed on screen. "Recognise her?" 

Jai looked at it before handing it to Roach, "Vivian?" 

"Her year book photo? Forget sweet sixteen, she was probable sweet eighteen never been kissed. She may not have had a real relationship. If the group Ridley's connected to had someone tall dark and handsome approach her, act like he wanted a relationship with her. That could be their way in." 

"We'll find out soon enough." Jai answered as Roach handed Diana her phone back, the car pulled to the curb as Jai answered his own. 

After a minute of conversation they were in the Camden warehouse district, "Right. Did you say 1218?" Jai asked of Auggie. 

"1218. Ridley said it was a grey stone building. Used to be a distillery that they turned into a dance club. You need GPS coords?" 

"Uh, no, I think we can find it on our own." The trio looked around the former distillery, they found several items that strongly suggested this was definitely the place not least of all a "Lapidary scale." 

Soon gunshots rang out but all they got of their attacker was a back view of a woman and possible fingerprints. 

* 

Later that night while Annie and Vivian were painting the town red at Havery's Jai was watch her hotel watching the foyer for activity. After a time a search was completed and they left, Jai reported, "Room's been searched." 

Auggie asked over the phone, "How'd we do?" 

"He was walking with happy feet." 

"Well, you can do the happy dance too. You remember that woman that shot at you today? Her prints match the wedding certificate of Donald Ridley's bride." 

* 

While this was happening Diana changed tables to the craps table. Annie was a brilliant actress, she gave the allusion of being tipsy with the euphoria of an addict. She had started her night here early and was well up, if anyone was on a hot streak it was her. 

"Eight. Front line winner. Eight came easy, hard eights down." Annie lost some more of her money. 

"How much did you just lose?" 

"About $6,000. It'll turn around. Put it on snake eyes." 

"Those are your last chips." Vivian was genuinely concerned, "Isn't that a really risky bet?" 

"It pays 30 to 1." 

"Because it doesn't come up much." 

"You only have to hit it once." 

"Come on, baby. Give me the deuce." 

Annie was about to finish her night, Diana thought she may as well join her in the action. She could sip cocktails until it was time for her to leave too. "My father always followed a lady who goes all in on snake eyes," she placed all her own chips on the table, "Snake eyes for me also." 

The table was hushed by Annie's bet, they fell silent at Diana's. The man was flabbergasted by the turn of events, but still he rolled, "Snake eyes." 

It took a moment for all to absorb what had happened, "Whoo!" Diana cheered, she knew this just made it harder for Annie. If she was smart and had pulled off her tipsy routine well enough she could carry the con off by _letting it ride_. "I think I've had enough luck at this table," Diana quit while she was ahead, and took her winnings. 

"Pay the lady 30,000." the requisite amount of chips were then slid to Annie. 

Annie played it just right and "Whoo!" her win, showing no sign that this was unwanted. 

"Let's quit while you're ahead. Annie. Come on." Vivian believed Annie's act. 

"No. Let it ride." 

"Madam?" 

"Same play. On the aces." 

"You need to quit, Annie." 

"There's no way I can lose. I can feel it. 

"That other lady was smart, at least take away a few thousand." 

"Vivian, you got to learn how to live a little. When you're on a roll, you're on a roll. There's no way I can lose." 

"I'll be riding with the lucky lady." Another gentleman followed her bet, before several more joined in. 

The crowd was disappointed when the roll came up "Seven out."


	8. Two Kinds of People

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry another conversation heavy chapter, this is still all back story for my new character.

**Wednesday, July 28th 2010**

While Annie was being told that Havery's only accepted personal cheques from members, Diana was receiving a cheque for a large portion of her winnings from another member of Havery's staff. Diana surreptitiously watched as Annie and Vivian left as she made her way to a blackjack table. She stayed playing various games of chance for a couple more hours, giving Annie enough time to be approached. 

Smart play for someone in Vivian's position was to approach Annie as soon as they were alone. Taking full advantage of Annie's debt and emotional state. To not let her think it through. 

At the end of her own evening Diana went to cash out her remaining chips and was given a cheque for the remaining sum. 

By the time Diana returned to the embassy Jai was already there. She slinked into the bullpen in her sleek red dress, heels in one hand and purse hung over her shoulder from the other. She whistled the chorus to old blue eyes's _luck be a lady_. When she stopped she asked Jai, "How was it?" 

Jai smiled, "We're good, you?" 

Diana dropped her heels and placed her purse on the desk, she snapped the clasp on it open. Pulling a piece of paper she handed it to Roach as she said, "You tell me." 

"Luck be a lady indeed." answered Roach before handing off the cheque to one of his people to deal with. 

**Thursday, July 29th 2010**

"Alara Koman. She was trained by Turkish intelligence and is operating as a mercenary now, primarily in weapons trade, but we think she may have a hand in human trafficking as well." Joan informed them. 

Henry got to his point, "Both of which can tie her to Angola." 

"What about our vice-consul?" Arthur asked. 

"We found a trail of visa applications that she approved without authorisation. They all look like they were requests from Koman's organisation." Roach informed them. 

"Vivian Long is up to her neck in this. She could provide us with some real information... names, places." Jai was emphatic about this. 

Arthur was cautious, "Are you suggesting we flip her?" 

"You can't. Who knows how she'll react to an approach? Have to get your girl Walker inside first." Henry didn't care about the cost he never had. 

Diana shook her head at Henry's heartlessness, this was a woman's life. 

* 

Auggie burst in to the conference room, "It's Annie on her encrypted cell, line seven." 

"We're on with Diana, Jai and Roach, we'll patch her in. Join us. Annie?" Joan instructed. 

"They're gonna get rid of Vivian." Annie informed them without preamble. 

"How do you know?" 

"I met with the woman who's running it. Pretty, brunette, 35." 

"Alara Koman, Ridley's wife." 

"She didn't know I spoke Turkish." 

"I didn't know you speak Turkish." Auggie told Annie. 

"Enough to get by. They think she knows too much. They're worried about her being flipped." 

"Where is she?" 

"At the embassy when I last talked to her." 

"In other words she was on her way out?" Diana half asked. 

"She was on her way to a meeting in Camden, the warehouse district. I'm suppose to meet her after at a pub." 

"Forget the pub. You're looking for a grey warehouse. 1218 Brewery Road." 

"Annie, how much did you tell her?" 

"Nothing until I called you." 

"Good girl. We make any move to save her, we're tipping our hand." 

"They'll kill her." 

"I'm perfectly aware that this young woman is an American citizen and have no desire to put her in harm's way, but anything we do at this point will jeopardise the operation with Walker." 

"It's not your call, Henry." 

"Why do you think I'm here, Arthur?" 

"You're here because you lobbied the director to put you here." 

"The only way you're gonna shed any light on this Angola connection is to get someone inside." 

"Vivian Long has real information for us now, not months from now." 

"She's burned. We can't jeopardise Walker's mission." 

"I'm already in." 

"And we want to keep you in. What if this Koman woman is trying to flush you out? Did you think of that? Why is she meeting Vivian at a place we've been watching? She's baiting us. You make a move, you reveal who you are." 

"Jai, have the marines hold miss Long at the door." 

"You're a fool, Arthur." 

"And you're not wanted here, Henry. Get out of the room." 

"Vivian left the embassy ten minutes ago." 

"Then get her. And go armed." 

"Annie, Diana, Jai and Roach are on their way. Do nothing until they get there." 

"Yes, ma'am." 

"Nothing." 

* 

"Annie! Up here!" Jai called down from the gantry just as the fire-fight began. "Down here! There's a way out!" 

Vivian tripped over something on the ground, "She's down." Diana told Annie. 

"Vivian!" Annie cried out over the sound of gunfire. 

"Too much fire. Wait it out. Annie!" 

But Annie wasn't listening, she ducked and crossed to where Vivian lay, and _'pulled'_ her to safety saying, "Let's go. 

"There's the stairway." Jai yelled to Annie, remembering the layout from when he was here earlier. 

"Get her out of here." Diana concurred, a fire-fight was no place for a civilian. 

**Friday, July 30th 2010**

Annie and Vivian were talking while they waited, and drank their drinks. An announcement caught Annie and Vivian's attention, "Flight 117 Dulles, business class..." 

"They fly you business?" 

"Coach." 

"When they turn off the seatbelt sign, I'll come back and visit." 

"That's us, Vivian." Jai told Vivian as he and Diana came over to her. 

"Did I ever tell you I wanted to be a spy?" 

"It was in your file." Diana told her, just beating Annie to it. 

"Now I'm kind of glad I didn't get in. It's no fun leading a double life, is it? I mean, the lying and deception. Whatever happens now, my wonky life is my own. And that's a relief." 

Vivian, Jai and Diana left to board the plane while Annie sat back down till she heard an announcement for her. 

**Monday, September 6th 2010**

Annie returned from a table set up in the outer office of the DCS with two disposable cup, handed one to Auggie. "Thanks." 

"The career intelligence medal, for a lifetime of service to the agency. Congratulations, Paul." Arthur handed Paul the award, eliciting applause from the rest. 

"This place gives out more awards than the boy scouts." Annie told Auggie. 

"As a former eagle scout, I disagree." 

Diana walked up behind Annie, "And as a former Girl Scout, I second that." 

"If the real intention was to keep up morale, they'd spike this punch." Annie hoisted her cup. 

"You know, Annie, you're still on the clock. Don't drink and drone." 

"You didn't hear that, Auggie, but she just faux clink." Diana told him. 

"No, I got it. Cheese?" 

"Hells yeah!" Annie answered and the pair went to get some food. 

Diana went to congratulate Paul, most people move on to other agencies. As she did she couldn't help but notice the surreptitious look of Arthur conversation with another staffer before he left. 

**Tuesday, September 7th 2010**

Jai walked down to the pavilion by the water where his father was being served iced tea, Henry noted his arrival "It's not a national holiday, so you must be here because you want something." 

"I need some advice." 

"My move would be to create some separation between yourself and Arthur Campbell." 

"That's not what I needed advice about." 

"It's the advice you need to hear." 

"Ben Mercer, whose handler I supposedly was... Was he taking orders from anyone else?" 

"Two kinds of people succeed at the CIA... those who are very good at taking orders, and those who cannot take orders. Ben couldn't...And can't. He's extraordinary." 

"You knew him." 

"I knew him very well. You think you know what you need, but you don't." 

"I know enough." 

"Remember my advice. You'd best look out for yourself. Take some initiative." 

"And how would you suggest I do that?" 

"If you're asking me that, then you're not taking initiative." 

"Enjoy the view." 

* 

Jai arrived back at Langley, as he passed Diana's desk she said, "Oh... I know that look." 

"What look?" 

"The _'I didn't like what I heard but can't find grounds to refute it'_ look... Arthur?" 

He gave a little snort and a _not here_ gesture and she followed him, when they were alone in the courtyard "My father." 

She sat down, gestured for him to also. Sitting on opposite sides of the bench she took his hand in hers, "What did he say?" He proceeded to tell her, "You're not gonna like what I think." 

"You think he's right?" She clutched his hand even tighter, as suave and confident as he appeared his father would always cause him to doubt himself. 

"You do need to take the initiative." 

"How would you...?" 

"If you're asking me..." 

"Then I'm not taking initiative." He sighed at this, he had heard this from his father. He just didn't want to listen.


	9. The truth is complicated. Forgive me.

**Friday, November 5th 2010**

Annie was still upset that she hadn't been able to say goodbye to Ben, just because she hadn't lost it with Joan didn't mean anything. 

She sat at a table in Allen's Tavern with Diana and Auggie, "I just don't get it. Why did they move Ben?" 

"I don't know." was Auggie's unhelpful reply. 

"We work in a job with a lot of _'I don't knows.'_ ", Annie couldn't tell if the tone of Diana's voice was exasperated or pitting. 

"Auggie, did your team find out anything about Guam?" 

"We did. The would-be assassins were a Belgian and a Fin who never worked together before." 

"What does that mean? What's the linkage between the two?" Her confusion clear in Annie's voice. 

"Well, the linkage is Ben. Someone wanted him dead, and they hired the two perfect people to do it. The Belgian's an expert in military security systems, the Fin is a weapons specialist. 

"Together, they had skills and access. Other than that, there's no profile." 

Annie got a far away look to her eyes, an idea trickled through her mind, "Access." She stood, prepared to leave before turning to Auggie, "We gotta go." 

"What? Really? I don't get to finish my beer?" 

"You really don't. Let's go." Diana said nothing, Annie had all the help she needed. 

* 

Annie approached the car in the parking lot, she opened the door and sat in the passenger seat across from Diana. "Thanks for coming, I know you can't wait to get home." 

"You said you wanted to talk about Ben." 

"Right about know, give or take, Arthur is meeting with him to welcome him back into the _'fold'_. Doing what he did, but with backing. 

"I know that you did not get a chance to end it on your terms. If you would like, I have resources that could get a message to him for you. If you want?" 

"Thank you." 

"It goes without saying that you will have to be careful what you write." 

**Monday, November 8th 2010**

Diana headed for the office when she heard a familiar voice call out her name. Stopping she turned to face her as she headed her way. When she was in arms reach she held out and envelope, "Here." Once Diana took the letter in her hands she opened it, "Hey!" 

Diana just read the printed typeface, pointing out a section, "This section you need to be more careful, it leaves good chance that someone else might divine it true meaning." She held out the letter for Annie. 

Annie took it, "Okay." she looked a little uncomfortable at Diana reading it. She then realised why Diana had checked it, if Ben carried it with him and someone captured him it could be used as a weapon. She started to head in. 

"Annie?" 

"Yeah?" 

"Write it by hand next time, printing it from a computer its too impersonal." Annie smiled to herself as the pair separated. 

**Friday, June 3rd 2011**

Early that morning Diana was dressed, she drove to an empty parking lot and got out to exercise. After warming up she headed out on a pre-arranged path. After a while she stopped by a bench, placed one of her feet on the seat and stretched her legs. The man seated at the other end of the bench didn't even look at her. "Who are you, really? 'Cause I'm sure your name isn't _'Diana St Pierre'_." 

A sly smile crossed her face, "I'm sure you didn't arrange this little meet and greet to discuss a name, Ben?" 

He didn't seem happy with her response, "The sources you used to get that letter to me, you don't make those sort of connections at the CIA. At least not without more _'experience'_ , and possibly a lot more dirt on your hands." He got up, placed his rubbish into the bin and without any further ado he left. 

Diana waited until he had long left, and she had finished stretching, before she retrieve the item jammed under the seat of the bench and left. 

* 

When Diana had arrived at the office she saw Annie in with Auggie talking. She passed by Annie's desk and slipped Ben's note under a stack of papers, a corner sticking out. As she sat down she saw Annie return to her desk and notice the odd thing in the stack, pulling it out. She opened the envelope, her eyes darting back and forth drawing a smile across her checks. 

Annie looked up across the bullpen at Diana, she mouthed the words 'thank you'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This brings us up to the start of episode 2x2 Good Advices.  
> Dates are arbitrary, anyone know the real 'dates' of events please let me know so I can fix them.


	10. Sorry, filler chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry but as the title says, this is a filler chapter. I went through the [episode transcripts ](https://tvshowtranscripts.ourboard.org/viewforum.php?f=92&sid=da51fa50d2b3dc1fe0870b4be500be40)I copied and pasted and tried to sort them into the story as I wrote but most of it is... well you'll see.   
> Most of it is as is.

**June 21st 2011**

Jai poked his head into Joan's office, "I was hoping I could have a word. 

"Yeah, sure. What's on your mind?" 

"I think I've done a pretty good job of filling in where I was needed." 

"No argument here." 

Getting straight to the point Jai tells his boss, "Thing is, given my skills, my experience, I'm not the guy that should be filling in. 

"Let's face it. Anyone else would have made a play for the corner office by now, or gone over to the NSA." 

"To get a better office and a parking space to go with it?" Joan quipped. 

"I stayed because I assumed my responsibilities would expand." 

"Well, you're welcome to hand in your resignation if you'd like." 

"I assume there'll be some fallout from the case against Arthur." 

"The situation's being handled." 

Jai was not one to be deterred, "Nobody's expecting Arthur to get marched out of the building. I mean, if it happens at all, it'll start slowly. First Arthur's people in the Tanzania station will get shipped back to Langley. Then the station chief in Stockholm will get the boot." 

"You done?" 

"Just being frank here." 

"And you've succeeded, and now I have work to do." Jai knew a dismissal when he heard it, returned to his desk. 

* 

Jai and Diana sat together at the cafeteria to eat, Diana had noticed the subtle changes in him. "What's wrong?" 

"Who says anything is wrong?" Jai smiled at her, but it didn't reach his eyes. 

"Your face does. You're feeling suffocated in the DPD, aren't you?" 

"How do you do that?" 

"You need to be careful, Joan could make a lot of trouble for you... And trouble for you affects me." 

"Dually noted." 

**Saturday, July 16th 2011**

Megan Wilins, an undercover CIA agent, was being held hostage along with her work colleagues at GG&E in Mexico City. She had a meet set for that evening with a high-value asset, so it was imperative that she is freed before then. 

There was also the not so small matter of her being an old friend of Joan Campbell. 

Jai walked into his father's house and made his way to the dining room where he was sure he would be. 

Henry was enjoying a morning coffee as he read the morning paper, looking up he noted his son's presence, "Did you wipe your feet?" Henry turned his attention to the paper as he greeted his only child. 

Feigning cheer he greeted his father, "Good morning to you, too. Can I assume you're up to speed with the hostage situation in Mexico City?" 

Having never bother to look up, "Did you read the article by Liza Hearn this morning? The woman must have a thesaurus. Who knew there were so many different ways to call Arthur a failure?" 

Frustrated by his father's obsession with Arthur he tried to bring him back to why he was here, "Focus. The A.D.T.D. has requested an American news crew from ECO-TV. It's the perfect cover for a CIA insertion crew." 

"Get to the point." 

"You're on the board of GG&E. It means you can help facilitate getting a CIA team inside the building." 

"Yet again, Arthur Campbell needs me to save his ass." 

Jai ignored his father's comment, "The team is on its way to the airport as we speak." 

"I see they're putting you to good use down there." Henry told him dismissively. Jai turned to leave, he noticed something on the surveillance cameras that made him stop. 

* 

Later that day Jai walked into Allen's Tavern and sure enough Liza Hearn was there, "So this is how you spend your weekends... Trolling for potential sources?" 

Her usual calm-cool demeanour in place she gave the young man a small smile, "Jai Wilcox. You have information worth sharing, or is this your way of flirting?" 

Straight down to business he told her, "Well, for what it's worth... I know you came to visit my father this morning." 

Completely caught off-guard, Liza was still a professional. "This is hardly the place to discuss business." She told him as she pulled a pen out of her bag and she writes something onto one of her napkins, sliding it across the table, "Don't keep me waiting." She stood and left the bar. 

* 

That evening Jai waited at the parking lot that Liza Hearn had directed him to, apart of him wasn't really surprised when she failed to turn up. Instead a familiar limo rolled to a stop before him, "Have a seat." When he hopped in the occupant addressed him, "I didn't know you had it in you, son." He pulled a cigar case from his pocket, "I've been saving these Cubans for a special occasion." 

"Do you know what the definition of treason is?" Jai asked his father rhetorically. 

"Tread carefully." 

"Leaking confidential information to Liza Hearn... now, there's a legacy to be proud of." Jai felt sick at the thought of the two men being related. 

As Henry snips the end off of each cigar, "For you as well. We share two important things... DNA... and a last name, so... If I go down, you go down. Or you can listen to what I have to say." 

**Monday, July 25th 2011**

"What's the word from the embassy?" Joan asked Jai. 

Continuing working he answered, "I'm compiling a briefing for Arthur right now." 

Knowing how Joan would feel about that, Diana answered before she could respond to that, "Islamabad's in full denial mode. They claim they shut down all militant groups." Diana gave Jai a gentle nudge. 

Taking the hint he continued, "According to the Pakistani government, Lashkar doesn't exist." Carrying enough disbelief in his voice. 

"Trying telling Safia Ramsay that. And what do we have on the car?" 

"The car was a rental. We traced payment back to the Pakistani Welfare Agency." 

Diana commented unnecessarily, "That's right out of the play-book, using a charitable organisation as a front. _'Give us money for food aid, and we'll use it to buy guns.'_ " 

"And what do we have on the P.W.A.?" Joan asked her employees. 

Jai answered that, "Small D.C.-based office. Pakistan desk's been monitoring their activities since the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. I have full dossiers on every employee. Oh, we've got a lot of options here. 

Arthur came over to look over his wife's shoulder at the file she was flipping through. He noticed an option, "Rubina Jafari. Personal secretary to the C.E.O. Young, single. Jai, think you can find an in?" 

"I don't think that'll be a problem." 

* 

Jai entered the bar and almost immediately he saw his quarry, Rubina Jafari. She was more beautiful in real life than her picture had shown. "You know it's bad luck to read in a bar, don't you?" 

She looked him over briefly, "You're wasting your time. I have a rule against dating Indian men." 

"Fine. If you ask me, you're the one wasting time. I mean, we both know how this charade plays out." Not too long later they were at her house kissing enthusiasticly as they undressed each other. Soon Jai found himself unceremoniously _'seated'_ in the couch when she was pulling away from him, "Where could you possibly be going that's more fun than this?" he asked incredulously. 

"Every-thing's more fun with champagne." She sashed through a doorway into, presumably, her kitchen. 

He pulled his phone out as his other hand reached into her bag, searching. He dialled the pre-set number and waited for a response, "Tech intel." 

"I'm in." He heard a sound through the phone, "Dude, are you eating a sandwich?" 

"They ordered Wagshals." There was no tone of apology in the voice at the end of the line, maybe some defensiveness. 

"Whatever. Just take me through this." 

All business, "Okay, set her Bluetooth to discoverable. Then open _'Spiral attack'_ from your phone. Enter her I.M.E.I. number. Then star, 7, 6, send." Something had happened as the phone beeped, "And... We're done. There you go. It'll take a day to drill down these names, but your end of the mission is done. You can just go home, lucky." 

"Yeah. Actually, I think I'm gonna stick around for a little bit." He hung up before a response could come. 

She walked into the room just then, a bottle and two glasses in hand, "What'd I miss?" 

Jai felt a little guilty, phone still in hand, "My sister called..." he said as he showed her the phone, "Our mum had an accident, I have to go... Sorry." 

Despite this being just a _'fling'_ Rubina was disappointed, her tone gave that away, "Can't your sister go?" 

"She moved to San Diego... Mum keeps forgetting that." Soon after he was in his car driving away. 

**Tuesday, July 26th 2011**

Jai woke that morning to a sleeping Diana. He ran the fingers of his free hand lightly down the cheek of her face, the small smile on her face the only thing she was wearing. 

As beautiful as Rubina Jafari was, he couldn't imagine being with her would have come even close to how it was with Diana. 

Jai extracted himself from Diana and headed for the master ensuite, at the door he turned to look at her. He couldn't imagine what his life would have been like without her. 

* 

"I cross-referenced Rubina Jafari's contacts with Ramsay's known associates."Jai hands his boss the file in hand. He continued to brief her as she looked through the file, "Tommy Burleigh. Studies nuclear physics at Georgetown. Took three language classes with Ramsay. He has top-secret clearance and access to sensitive D.O.E. Labs." 

"Ideal target for Lashkar recruitment." Joan observed. 

Jai continued after making an affirmative sound, "And his sizeable student loans, suspiciously paid off last year. 

"Ramsay must've sniffed out he was selling info to Lashkar." 

"Lashkar had him killed before he could get out word." 

"You have to tell Annie." 

"I'm trying." Jai informed her, "Her cell's out of range." 

**Monday, August 8th 2011**

"After careful analysis and assessment, we've decided to proceed with the defection of one Shen Yue. Scientist and Chinese National, Shen will be in D.C. this week for a tech conference. This is Operation _Steel-head_. Shen is a top hydroelectric engineer who worked on the Three Gorges Dam. He's a big get who can provide us with intel on China's energy. It's all in his case file, which is required reading for everyone-- everyone, that is, except for Annie. That's because Annie wrote the file. And as such, Annie will facilitate the defection of Shen. Shen will be her asset. We're targeting next Friday's conference closing ceremonies for the extraction." 

"Joan. I expected I would be the lead on this operation." 

"Seniority isn't the only metric we make decisions on." 

"I managed half the vetting process and ran point with Beijing Station." 

"And Annie set up a dummy engineering chat site and cultivated and turned an asset via the Internet in three months. She's qualified and ready." 

"I like Annie, but this is bad management." 

"Duly noted." 

* 

Annie looked at the bottle in her hands,"I guess it's just you and me." Annie's phone rang, "Hey." She answered it. 

Over the phone speaker she heard Auggie's cheery voice, "Hey! Did you read your sister in?" 

"Ugh." Annie answered, a sign of her own self-disgust, "Call me a rooster, 'cause I'm a big chicken." 

"Bummer. Well, Operation _Steel-head_ 's been moved up to this evening. There's chatter out of Beijing. Ops van's already in position outside the hotel." 

"Um, uh, uh, give me an hour to get dressed." 

With false cheer he tells her, "Great." Before delivering the bad news, "You got 15 minutes." 

Later at the hotel as Annie was making her way in to meet Shen, Auggie talked her through, "Keep calm. That'll help Shen stay calm. In 20 minutes, you'll have a story to tell your grand-kids, assuming you eventually get around to reading them in. 

* 

The next morning, when Annie cleared isolation, she left and came across a familiar person waiting for her, "Are these three seats taken?" 

Auggie can't help but chuckle, "It's amazing how my head, body, and legs can all be so uncomfortable at the same time." 

"Have you been here all night waiting up for me?" 

"Me? No. The gift shop opens at 8:00. I wanted to get in early before there's a run on stuffed whales in top hats." Annie crossed the distance and flung her arms around her best friend, "Hey. It's gonna be okay. You're okay." 

"Thanks." She lets go of him, considers where to go from here, "Okay, you ready to figure out who did this? Shen has a friend at the Asian Cultural Organisation." 

"State's asked us to stand down." 

"We're not gonna do anything?" 

"It's not fair. I know." 

"Did we get the soup bowl when we swept the hotel?" 

"Seems like us." 

"Can we analyse it? Maybe we can use the radioactive signature." 

"Well, as revealing as that would be, our internal labs can't touch it." 

"But?" Annie knew Auggie well enough, she could tell when he was about to drop the _'but...'_ bomb. 

"But... I have a friend that works in Johns Hopkins Radio-biology Lab, and he could take a look." 

"You have a friend everywhere." 

"Friends come in handy at times like this." 

"They certainly do." 

* 

Jai entered Joan's office, "You wanted to see me?" he asked rhetorically. 

"I'll keep this brief." Joan informed him, "I know you're not happy here at the DPD, and I'm not happy having people who aren't happy in my division." 

"Are you saying you want me to be happier?" Jai had a sinking feeling about where this was going. 

"In essence, yes. I'm going to authorise a transfer to the South-West Station." 

"South-West Asia?" 

"No. Phoenix. We're expanding domestic offices. It's a new, exciting opportunity. I wish you the best of luck." 

"And if I don't want to go?" 

"Then I guess you'll still be unhappy. It'll just be in Phoenix." Jai knew arguing with Joan would be useless. 

**Saturday, September 24th 2011**

Jai entered the sports centre and soon found whom he was looking for, "Hey, Cam, wait up." 

Cam looked up as he finished packing his things, "If you're asking me about poker this month. I'm not hosting." 

"Don't worry about that." 

"Good. My wife's still on my ass about the last time." 

"I need to know where the intelligence committee is on the leak investigation." 

"You know I can't divulge that, not even for an old fraternity brother." 

"I don't need details, just a top-level view." 

"We're shutting down the investigation, end of this week." 

"Shutting it down?" 

"Yeah, for an agency that reportedly can't keep its mouth shut, no one seems to want to tell us anything." 

"Well, I want to tell you something." 

"We're not taking any more depositions. My boss thinks the whole thing is toxic. He wants to put it behind him." 

"Call me in. I swear it will be worth the committee's time to hear what I have to say." 

"I hear you're getting stymied in the D.P.D., that Arthur's threatening to farm you out to Phoenix. Is that true?" 

"What does that have to do with anything?" 

"I'm just saying, it's my rep on the line here. So, if you're coming in because you got an ax to grind." 

"I know where the bodies are buried on this one, Cam, and who did the shovelling. I can name names. Trust me." 

When Cam and Jai had parted ways Jai made his way to his car. 

**Sunday, September 25th 2011**

Jai saw his father heading straight for him, "Larry, do you mind?" He addressed the man riding on a nearby equipment, "I need a little bonding time with my son here." He waited for Larry to leave, "You can't possibly be this obtuse." 

"Dad, I really don't want to talk about this here." 

"You ask-- ask to be deposed?" 

"How could you know that?" He pretended surprise, his father couldn't know that this was all planned. 

"Do you think blowing your little whistle is gonna gain you favour in the Agency? The people slapping your back today for being so honest and forthright will be the same ones who won't share another piece of information with you because they know now you like to talk." 

"I didn't expect you to understand." 

"I get it. You're frustrated. Arthur shut you out, and I'm not in position yet to be there for you. If you can just sit tight..." 

"Come on." 

"For a little more time, it's all going to work out. But if you finger me as the leak..." 

"You think I want to do this... to my own father?" 

"Don't put yourself in that position, son." 

"I don't have a choice. Our national security has been compromised. I'm just trying to do my part to repair the breach... For my country and my conscience. 

"For your country and conscience? Who talks like that? Did you not learn anything from me?" 

"I guess not." 

"It's hard to believe sometimes you're actually my son." 

**Monday, September 26th 2011**

Diana and Jai were finishing up lunch before Jai had to leave for his deposition. Diana was relaxed about what Jai was about to do, Jai not so much. He felt conflicted about it, despite her reassurances. 

He had delayed the inevitable but the time had come, "How sure are you that I won't make it to the Hill?" 

She smiled, "You won't even make it out of the building... Your father no longer works here, but he can still get every embarrassing classified details to feed to her." 

He drained the last dregs from his cup, "I think you give my father too much credit." 

"I think you don't give him enough." 

Jai gave her a quick peck on the cheek and headed on out towards his car, on the way there a young man stopped in front of him, "Mr. Wilcox." 

"Yes." 

"Could you come with me, please? The D.N.I. would like to talk with you." 

Diana had called it, "Uh, could we schedule it for later? I have a meeting to get to." 

"Your deposition on the hill... we know already. The D.N.I. would like a brief word beforehand." 

When Jai finally returned to the DPD Diana had a smug smile on her face, but wisely chose not to say a thing. 

* 

Annie's phone rang, "Yeah." 

"Annie, where are you right now?" Auggie asked, concern clear in his voice. 

"Etxarte, kind of. Why?" 

"We got a tip on the safe house Gorka's guys were holing up in. Before the FBI could get there, the place had been vacated. But they found traces of ammonium nitrate prills and acetone peroxide powder." 

Annie knew what that meant, "T.A.T.P.?" 

"They were building a bomb, Annie." Auggie reiterated. 

An idea hit Annie, "Did they find any, uh, champagne bottles?" 

"What?" 

"Cava bottles o-or labels?" 

A moment passed as Auggie checked out the report, "Yes." 

Annie ran back into Etxarte, "The cases of cava that Gorka brought you-- what did you do with them?" 

"They're behind the bar." She rushed to the bar, "I thought I told you to get out." Annie wasn't swayed, "What do you think you're doing?" All the crates on the bar, Annie proceeded to remove the bottle, "You're going through my things now? This is ridiculous. I think you're paranoid." 

Annie pulled a bottle out, suddenly slowing her movements, "Okay." The device's beeping was clear, "Uh... Go!" Just after the pair cleared the building the timer hit zero. 

A while later, after Annie was checked out by paramedics, Auggie asked his friend, "So what happened? Did you forget everything the farm taught you about defusing a bomb?" 

"I did... Actually, when I saw that little red light blinking, and, uh..." Annie took a moment, "There's big gap between theory and practice." 

"Well, we got lucky-- no casualties. We're gonna spin it as a gas-leak explosion. Supposedly sounds safer than a bomb--I don't know." 

"Did they find Gorka yet?" 

"No." 

"What's gonna happen to Xabier?" 

"We got to find him first. Pretty sure he's not going to be a suspect any more." 

"This was his whole life." 

"Well, on the bright side, at least your sibling's not trying to blow you up." 

"No. She prefers a slower burn." 

"Well, in case you can't get home so fast, here's a safe-house-warming gift. You can use it to pop your top whenever the mood strikes you." 

"Bottle opener-- cool." 

"If you want to practice, we can go to Allen's right now." 

"Thank you. But what I want right now is peace and quiet and a hot, hot bath. Besides, my safe house is right around the corner." 

"Oh, come on, Annie. You know the rules." 

"I know. I'm not supposed to tell anybody where my safe house is. Even you?" 

"That's right--even me." 

"I'm going there right now, so, if you don't want to know where it is, you better close your eyes." 

* 

That evening Jai was working out at the sports centre when Cam found him, "Hey! Hey! Really? You no-show the deposition?" 

"I tried to reach you." 

"Two hours after the fact. Do you want to take a guess how much of a moron I looked like today?" 

"You? What about me? I'm on my way out of the building, and I get yanked into the D.N.I.'s office. How the hell did he know I was coming in?" 

"So what are you saying? What, that I leaked?" 

"Well, somebody did. You have no idea how much pressure they put on you to keep quiet." 

"You know I can slap a subpoena on you right here." 

"Do it. I will _'I do not recall'_ you to death. I'll deny I told you anything." 

"They're gonna have my ass on this." 

"I'm gonna make this up to you, Cam. I promise." 

"I've played enough poker with you Jai, to know when you're lying. I just can't figure out why." 

Cam left disappointed and a little bit angry. Jai finished up his workout before he too left. 

**Tuesday, September 27th 2011** \- Basque Soldier's Day 

Jai entered the DPD with the DNI staffer in tow, he packed his things and picked up the box before turning to him, "Are you ready to go, Mr. Wilcox?" 

"Yeah, I'm ready." The pair left together, Jai looked surreptitiously to Diana as he left. 

In his new office Jai placed his box on top of the desk, "Can I get you a cup of coffee, sir?" the staffer asked of him. 

This drew a smile, "Yeah. Why not? Black, two sugars." 

"Very good, sir." 

Not long after the staffer left Jai heard an all to familiar voice say, "They say the office makes the man. I truly hope that is the case." 

"Hey, Dad. A simple _'congratulations'_ would suffice." 

"Three days ago, you had one foot out the door, now you're major-domo of a brand-new initiative, reporting directly to the D.N.I. ... Bureaucracy has never worked that fast before." 

"It was a surprise to me as well." 

"You know how many strings I had to pull to get you this promotion?" 

Jai honestly answered, "I can't imagine." 

"All of them." Henry Wilcox told his son emphatically, "That's how many. I hadn't realised just how low your star had fallen around here." 

"I'm a Wilcox, for better or worse." 

"The hell you are. You say you have a code, a conscience? Yet all it takes is a room with a view for you to chuck it away. I'd rather you stand on principle and feed me to the wolves than waver so easily. At least I'd know the measure of you." 

"You are the most selfish bastard I know. All my life, the only time you've ever done anything for anyone is if it was in your own self-interest. I needed to get out from under Arthur's thumb. I had to make sure that you were properly motivated to pull your strings." The look on his father's face was priceless. 

"How did you know I'd get word about your deposition?" 

"I learned from the best." The smile on his face hid the fact that he meant someone else. 

"You're playing a dangerous game here, son. Keep it up. I like it." Henry turned around to see Diana there, leaning against the door jam, mug in hand. 

Henry left without another word, Diana handed Jai the cup in hand, "What is it with Wilcox men... underestimating Wilcox men?" she ask Jai rhetorically.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This brings us, more or less, to the end of 2x11 The Wake-Up Bomb.  
> Apologies for the poor quality but I couldn't sort it out any better. There should be more towards the outcome I had imagined in upcoming chapter(s).


	11. Major Obstacle In His Path

**Saturday, October 1st 2011**

Annie pulled up to the warehouse that the note on her desk had directed her towards. Just as she was about to turn off the engine she saw Diana, who waved her inside. 

Once Annie had parked inside the warehouse, Diana had shut the pair in, she got out and waited for Diana to tell her why she had requested this meet. 

"Diana?" Annie addressed the woman, her quizzical tone carrying in that single word. 

"Annie, I understand you had a problem this week." 

Unsure about what the woman was talking about, "Ah... No. What are you talking about?" 

Diana directed her to a cinder block building inside the warehouse. Annie walked into it, only to hear the door close and lock behind her. Turning to the door looking through the inbuilt window she said, "What?" 

Diana reached to the doors side and Annie heard the distinct sound of an intercom being activated, "I love the instructors at the Farm, but there is a big difference between training and reality." She nods towards the centre of the 'room', Annie followed her. "The problem is, no real consequences. At the Farm, you fail an exercise they deduct points. This exercise, there are real consequence. Tick Tick." She let the intercom button go. 

Annie crossed to the centre and saw an LED clock face, counting down. Her heart constricted in her chest, Diana wouldn't put explosive in a training bomb. But Annie didn't want to find out what sort of consequences she had come up with. 

Annie got to work. 

As the clock was ticking down, Annie found herself wiping of sweat off of her brow. The clock hit twenty nine seconds and suddenly Annie heard a click followed by the sound of an air canon going off. She was pummelled by the foulest water she had ever had the displeasure to smell. 

Annie heard the door lock disengage, she headed outside. 

**Sunday, October 30th 2011** \- Marine corps Marathon 

Jai walked into his office, greeted his secretary as she finished placing a file onto his desk, "Good morning, Emily." 

She turned to face him, "Good morning! I was told to tell you that the Langford mission is a DPD assignment." 

"Langford mission?" That caught Jai by surprise, "I didn't even know that was in play. Fine. Um... Keep my Asian Humint debrief. Don't cancel it." 

"Actually, they called. They wanna reschedule." 

"To when?" 

"They said they'd get back to us." 

"Okay. Thank you." 

**Monday, October 31st 2011**

On his phone Barber was briefing Auggie, "Well, no key or cipher. We got plenty of pics to drill down." 

"Good work, Barber. See you soon." Auggie told his man before getting back to the work at hand. 

Just then a visitor interrupted him, "Got a minute, Auggie?" 

"Jai, is that you? No fragrance today?" Auggie teased the man. 

"You wanna grab a beer after work?" Jai asked the DPD tech op. 

"Yeah, sure. Allen's tavern?" 

"Let's class it up a bit." Jai suggested to the man, "W hotel bar?" 

Auggie liked the sound of that, "I'll bring my evening cane." 

With that out of the way Jai left Auggie to his work. 

* 

That evening Jai and Auggie were seated at the bar in the W hotel. Jai addressed the man beside him, "There's a hot blonde at your 10:00 giving you the eye. She must not be into Indian guys." 

"Alpha-male compliment slash dig aside, I'm taken." 

Jai had time for small talk, "Giving the other DC bachelors a fighting chance." 

"You didn't invite me down here to be your wingman." Auggie knew Jai had invited him for a reason. 

"What did I invite you down here for?" 

"I don't know. But we've never had drinks together, just you and me, ever. So you must want something." 

If Auggie didn't want to beat around the bush, fine with him, "Okay. I need advice." 

"Jai, I don't know why the blonde at 10:00 isn't into Indian guys." 

That elicited a smile, "Work advice. You're the one with Langley dialled." 

"And you're the one with a connected father," Auggie said as comeback, "and a fat new office under the DCI. What's it called again?" 

"Office of special projects. We interface amongst the various directorates and help exploit efficiency opportunities to minimise bureaucracy." Jai recited as if from rote. 

"You lost me at interface." A cheeky grin on his face as he picked up his glass to take a sip. 

Jai knew he needed to steer this conversation back to get the answers he needed, "Look, OSP has the opportunity to help the Agency reinvent itself post-UBL. I have a budget, I have autonomy. But I'm hemmed in. I can't get any internal traction." He didn't have to fake his frustration. 

"As big a budget as we have, the CIA is not a budget-driven agency, Jai. It's a people-driven agency. Doesn't matter how big your wallet is. You need a few good hires to create a critical mass. If you hire, they will come." While good at playing the fool, Auggie excelled at sage advice. 

"You interested?" Jai asked, though he knew the answer. 

"Nice try." 

"On another matter... I need your help with something, personal." 

"O-Oh! Should I be nervous?" 

"Because you're blind people tend to allow you to be more... Tactile." 

"One of many benefits." 

"I need you to gauge Diana's ring size." 

"Ring size? Like as in on bended knee?" 

"Can you do it?" 

"Of course." Auggie holds his glass as if to toast, "A toast, to the DC bachelors finally having a real chance." 

**Tuesday, November 1st 2011**

The next day Auggie was in for a nasty surprise when he went in search of his two best people, "Hey, has anyone seen Barber or Hollman?" 

"They got reassigned." Another of his team informed him. 

"Reassigned? Where?" Confused about that, he hadn't requested that they be transferred. 

"Office of Special Projects." 

Auggie made his way to Jai's office, pissed off the man had nabbed his two best tech ops, "What the hell, Jai? When I said hire a few good operatives, I didn't mean poach mine." 

"I just made the offer. They're the ones who accepted. Seems like your beef's with them, not with me." 

"Is that the kinda political double speak that got you this promotion?" 

"Auggie, you were half right." 

"People matter. So does money. For Barber and Hollman, this is where the money is." 

"That's the last time I give you advice." 

"That's the last time I'll need it." Jai knew he had burnt that particular bridge. 

* 

"Bebe Langford's in FBI custody. She's already talking." Joan began briefing Annie on the situation, "Max was using chess moves as codes to transmit secrets which Bebe then sold to an FSB handler. Bebe's given up the identity and location of the handler. We've got a team who's bringing him in now." Annie seemed to be barely paying attention, "Annie?" 

Being addressed directly brought Annie completely into the moment, "Joan, I've been in situations like that before, but yesterday, I felt the bullet go by me. Decisions, reflexes, bravery, none of that matters. I feel like my luck's running out, so if I wanted specialised weapons training..." 

Joan could understand how she felt, "Consider it approved. You can report for shooter and bodyguard training on Monday morning." 

Annie sighed in relief, genuinely, "Thanks." 

"If you need any more help in that regard, I understand Diana has an effective teaching method." Joan couldn't keep the humour from her voice. 

Annie cringed at the reminder, "Don't reminder me, it took a month to get the smell out of my car." 

**Saturday, November 5th 2011**

Jai was settling in to tee off on the course, his father waiting to take his shot, watching his son's stance carefully. Jai took a shot and it soon became obvious it was not the best, "I could have called that, your stance was way off." 

Jai moved aside, ripping his glove from his hand, "My stance is sound, the wind took it." 

Henry fought to keep the smile off of his face, "You keep telling yourself that." Jai moved to allow his father tho tee off, "You seem to be full of excuses." Henry moved to take his shot. 

Jai tucked the glove in his back pocket, "Here we go. What'd I do this time?" 

Henry sets his ball up and turns to his son,"It's not what you've done. It's what you haven't." 

"And you're here to give me advice." Jai hated it when his father gave him advice. 

"No. I've given you advice before." Henry informed his son, "For years. You always seem to take it as an affront." Henry moved away from his waiting ball as he continued, "Do you remember when I told you to choke up in little league?" 

"No, I don't remember that." 

"Mm, well... It seems you're not the kind of guy who can get in front of a fast ball." Henry hands his son a piece of folded paper. 

"What's this?" 

"Take it as a favour." Jai tentatively takes the paper in hand, "It's a dormant operation called _'ministry'_." Henry continued to tell his son, "And well worth your while to pursue it. You could be a hero on this one." 

"What makes you feel..." 

Henry puts his hand up to stall further comment, "I get it. I was a lousy father. Maybe you think I still am. But I do know Langley. And I want you to realise this. At the CIA, you get a very small window to prove yourself. And I fear yours is closing. I'm trying to help you." Henry returned to the tee and set up to take his shot. He made a near perfect shot. 

**Thursday, November 10th 2011**

Jai stayed in the office late, working to get Hadley, and the two men who had gone down to Bolivia with him, released. 

State department was being useless, and talking to the various other avenues that could help was being just as fruitless. 

Just then a knock at his door sounded, Diana was there. He could tell by the look on her face that he had forgotten... 

Damn. "Sorry, Diana. I can't tonight." He would much rather be with her, but he had done this he had to fix it. 

She took in the look on his face, suddenly her entire demeanour changed. He thought he was better than that. "I see. If I can help call me, okay." She crossed the room to his side and kissed him on the cheek before turning to leave. 

Jai quickly grabbed her hand as he stood and pulled her to him. Jai kissed her as if his life depended on it. 

When he finally pulled back the pair were breathing heavily and Jai had an even darker look in his eyes. Diana ran a hand along his chin, "If you give yourself a chance Jai. You could be better at this than your father." She moves away from the man. As she reaches the doorway she looks back at him. 

**Friday, November 11th 2011**

Jai stood at the threshold of the office of the DCS. The door was open and the man himself was standing off to one side of the desk, "I know it was you." Jai began without preamble, "I know you were the one who rescued Hadley and his team. Why'd you let me take all the credit?" 

"Maybe I just wanted to bank a little good will." Arthur offered. 

"I don't buy it." 

That was to be expected, "Okay, fine. Then you tell me. Why did I do it?" 

Jai honestly didn't have an answer to that, "I don't know. But you must have had some kind of angle." He didn't think it was the case but, "Maybe you want something to hold over me? 

Arthur knew it was to be expected, "You're a manager now. This is real. Real lives. It's not all about politics." 

**Monday, November 21st 2011**

Jai sat across the table from the poligrapher, comfortable in his position. The poligrapher set up the machine and addressed the man across from him, "As you know, with the change of positions at the C.I.A. comes a routine polygraph." 

"Took you guys a while." Jai told the man sarcastically, "CIA. bureaucracy never ceases to amaze." 

Looking over his notes, "Office of Special Projects." looking up the man asked Jai, "What is that?" 

"Is that part of the polygraph?" 

The man started with the questions, "Your name is Jai Wilcox?" 

"Yes." 

"You came back from a post in London to work with Arthur Campbell on Operation Lynx?" 

"Yes." Everything going well. 

"Standard surveillance op?" 

"Yes." The machine beeped at the signs of deception coming from Jai. Another man walked in as the first scribbled down a note. The first man handed him the note, "Friend of yours?" 

"Let's continue." Jai didn't give an outwards sign, but he was smiling on the inside. 

Later that day in the DCS's office Arthur welcomed a friend and fellow agent inside, "Oh, not bad for a fellow former sailor." Eric said as he to in the interiors of the office. 

"A little hard work, a lot of good luck." Arthur told the man, trying to downplay it. 

His guest ran a hand over on of the chairs surrounding a conference table, "Look at that...leather." He couldn't help but observe, "I can't get budgeted for an Aeron chair even with a doctor's note." Eric couldn't help gripe. 

Arthur knew this wasn't what he had come for, "Did you come here to bitch about furniture?" 

"No." He got to the point, "Do you know of an Operation Lynx?" 

Why would he be asking about that? "Who's talking about it?" 

"Well," Eric began to explain, "apparently a routine polygraph was failed, which led to a GCO. inquest into this particular operation." 

Concern started to seep into Arthur's being, "Whose polygraph?" He tried to make it sound nonchalant. 

"Jai Wilcox." Eric couldn't tell if Arthur was worried, "Are you vulnerable?" 

"You could say I'm vulnerable." Arthur answered honestly. 

Ever the pragmatist, "Then I'd suggest you try and get out in front of this." 

As he reached out his hand to Eric, Arthur continued to speak, "Thanks, Eric. I owe you one." 

As Eric turned to leave he pointed at the chairs, "One of those." 

**Tuesday, November 22nd 2011**

Jai knew it was inevitable but that didn't mean he had to like having his father in his office, "When were you gonna tell me that you were called in front of the GCO inquest board?" Henry watch his son's reaction which caused him to chuckle, "Yes. I know everything." He told his son in a patronising tone, "I don't suppose you realise the opportunity you've created for yourself." 

This was the part of the plan he hated, "More scrutiny? That's an opportunity?" 

"You have the ear of the general counsel." Henry told his son in a tone that suggested he was trying to explain that one plus one equalled two to a toddler, "Play your cards right... you can get rid of a major obstacle in your way." 

Henry didn't know that was the plan, "You want me to sell out Arthur." 

"Operation Lynx was his call." Henry continued, "You were just... following orders." 

Jai didn't like how easily his father could talk about throwing someone under the proverbial bus, "We both had a hand in it." 

"I wouldn't defend the man who called you in from London station and then let you twist after Ben Mercer came into the fold." 

"Doing fine now." 

Henry was dismissive, "Your office of special projects is a vanity title at best. You need to entrench yourself in a job that has a spine. The inquest board will ask some questions about your allegiances. Any sympathy for Arthur will be seen as weakness, and you will be marched out along with him." 

"I don't have any sympathy for Arthur." Jai told his father honestly 

"Good. Keep your composure." Henry told his son, "And pretty soon, I'll be back in as DCS. Look arrogant, say nothing of importance. That should be easy for you. 

"I have work to do. Good-bye." Jai dismissed his father. 

* 

The head of the GCO inquest board directed Jai into the seat at the other end of the conference table, "Thank you for talking with us." 

"I don't believe I had a choice." No one else in the room could very well deny that, "But before we begin, I'd like to make a statement on a separate issue. I think you'll find it of some interest." 

The head directed him to, "Go ahead." 

Jai drew in a small breath before he began, "My name is Jai Wilcox. I am the son of Henry Wilcox, former DCS and current leak of information to the reporter Liza Hearn." That little bombshell caught the board of guard, "I will now outline my father's involvement in the leak scandal and provide to the board a comprehensive timeline as fully as I can. 

* 

Henry was on his favourite course, about to sink a put, as two men dressed in suits approached him, "Was it Jai?" He didn't know why he asked, who else could it be, "Let me finish my round." He lined up the shot and after a moment took it. It went in, "It always goes in when the pressure's off." 

* 

Jai stood inside Arthur's office that evening, "So..." Arthur begins as he prepare to pour a drink, "thank you." 

"For what?" 

Arthur looked over at the man, "You held my fate in your hands, and you chose do the right thing. It speaks volumes." 

"It's funny..." Jai can barely contain the smile, "being constantly underestimated." 

"I was being complementary." 

"You think I did this out of some deep-seated morality..." Jai begins to ask the man, "where this talk would be my cherished reward. Don't you get it? I failed the polygraph on purpose." 

That surprised Arthur, "What is your purpose?" 

"Everyone knows about the inquest." Jai began to explain, "How I chose the ethical path... over the preservation of my own father. I finally got rid of the stink of nepotism. And soon, I'll be going after Joan's job. And if you step in to defend her, that stink will be back on you, and you'll both be gone, and I'll be running the DPD Thanks for the scotch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That concludes season 2 now. The gap between season 2 and 3 is where the big changes to canon will occur, obvious _'hint'_ written in this chapter. There will be a twist or two coming up, you're welcome to guess. It may give me some ideas for November 2011 through to July 3rd 2012.  
> All I have planned at this point is July 3rd. That is 19,526,400 seconds or 325,440 minutes or 5424 hours or 226 days or 32 weeks and 2 days or 7 months and 13 days including the third to fill in. Ipso facto the next chapter may be a while.


	12. "Death is boring. Life is much more fun. "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title came from a quote by Jessica Townsend that I found on [goodreads](https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/unexpected-things). Not indicaive of the chapters story but hints at the twist(s) included.  
> This chapter starts the day before the season 3 beginning.  
> I had planned to have Jai propose to Diana and for her to tell him something. Does anyone remember Brody MacTiernan from [Chapter 5: The Other Women](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22646581/chapters/58626631)? If you had figured out what (fandom) the whole conversation was pointing towards, you will understand what conversation Diana and Jai would have had.  
> While I could not find the words to write that, I am telling you here as it is apart of my head back story and knowing that may change how you feel on this chapter.

**Tuesday, July 3rd 2012**

Diana was preparing to leave for the night. The only thing left to do was to submit her report. She looked to Joan's office, Auggie was walking out. 

Diana stood and grabbed the file folder on her desk and headed towards Joan's office. She knocked on the door and once Joan had answered she opened the door to her boss, "I finished the report on..." She didn't finish her sentence, she knew Joan well enough to know she wasn't listening. 

What ever file Auggie had given her must be important. 

Joan waved her hand in dismissal, Diana smiled as she left the office. 

She returned to her desk. On the keyboard was an envelop with her name on it. She picked it up. 

Diana didn't bother looking around to see who had placed it here, this was Langley after all. If the person who placed it here didn't want her to know, she wouldn't see anything obvious to give them away. 

She slid a pen under the sealed flap and tore open the envelope, a small piece of paper was inside. She carefully pulled the page out and unfolded it. 

Written on the page were a set of instructions. She returned it to the envelope. 

Diana stuffed the envelope into her jacket pocket, grabbed the rest of her things and left the office. 

* 

Diana entered the opulent foyer and headed for the main desk, waiting at the desk was the woman named _'Lisa'_ , "Schreiber." Diana told the woman. 

_'Lisa'_ 's smile became a fraction bigger as she moved to the area that kept residents mail. She found the room and slipped a pile of envelopes into her hands, "Anything else, Mrs Schreiber?" 

Diana smiled at the woman as she told the woman, "No, thank you. Enjoy your evening." Before slipping a note to the woman. 

Diana headed for the elevator, she hit the button to call a car to take her up. As she waited she sorted through the envelopes. Out of one for a locksmith she pulled a key-card for a suite in this hotel. 

A car arrived and Diana entered, pressing the button for the relevant floor. 

Diana soon found her way to the room that the card belonged to, room 218. She entered the room as if she belonged there, ever wary of whom was leading her down this path. 

A beautiful red dress was laid out on the bed, as were the various accoutrement. 

On the night stand there was another envelope, she picked it up and pulled out the piece of paper. 

A genuine smile graced her face as she recognised the handwriting, Jai. 

* 

Later that evening the couple entered the suite. No sooner than the door was shut firm Diana found her back pressed against it by Jai's body, his lips descending on her own. 

As the pair moved towards the bed, Jai's hand slid across her back to find the zipper. Diana's hands made their own way across his body, taking the steps to undress him as they went. 

When their deft hands had completed their tasks Jai slowly lowered Diana to the bed as he crawled over her. He felt her hand touch his member and guide him home. 

A sudden thought crossed the man's mind, "We do..." The feeling of something scraping his right side distracted him, he realised what it was and any thought of completing what he had been about to say was lost. 

Soon the couple were caught deep within the throes of ecstasy. It wasn't too much longer before Jai felt an all to familiar feeling in his nether region. 

**Wednesday, July 4th 2012**

Diana woke that morning with a smile on her face, she had never felt so good as she did now. She stretched out her arms wide and felt... 

Nothing but an empty bed. 

Diana opened her eyes and looked to her side where her fiancé ought to be. Nothing. 

She looked around, the dress she had worn last night had been hung over the foot of the bed. Where ever he had gone he had time to tidy up a little. She looked to the bedside table and she found a note, folded in half sitting within arms reach. Taking the note in hand she opened it and read, _'Something came up. I ordered breakfast for you it will arrive...'_

A knock at the door dragged her from the missive, "Who is it?" 

"Room service." Came the reply. 

Diana checked out her situation before answering, "You may enter." 

The young man entered, pushing a cart laden with silverware. He took one look in her direction before steadfastly looking everywhere else. Taking pity on the man she directed his attention to a sideboard by his side, "There is a tip for you on the sideboard." The man took the money and quickly left the room. 

Diana got up and walked to the cart, lifted one of the cloches. She breathed in the delicious smell as the aroma escaped its confines. 

* 

Diana was greeted by all the women of the DPD, it seems as though the security guard she had meet as she entered had told one of the women who were now surrounding her, fawning over the ring on her hand. 

She didn't tell them who had proposed to her, this left them guessing wild and ludicrous ideas as to his identity. 

The only person who didn't seem to be so marriage minded as the rest was one Annie Walker, who walked into the DPD carrying two near full cupcake containers. 

Annie came across their boss, who she handed a cupcake to. She returned to her desk as Joan made her way past their group, "Back to work ladies, this isn't a social club." Once the ladies dispersed she saw what all the commotion was about, "Congratulations, Diana." was all she said on the matter. 

As Diana moved towards her own desk she saw Annie opening a note with an open envelope on the desk, "Did you make these?" she greeted as she crossed the office. 

Annie folded the piece of paper, "I was in the kitchen at 5:00 this morning." Annie told the woman as she handed one of the cupcakes to her. 

She took a big bite of the cupcake, "While you weren't lying," She said with a mouthful of red velvet, she swallowed before she continued, "Please, give Danielle my compliments." 

"You said I wasn't lying?" 

"You said you were in the kitchen, not that you made these. As a baker, Annie Walker, you make a better spy." This drew a laugh from the woman. 

Using the piece of paper as a pointer, "What was that about?" she said as she pointed where Diana had come from. Diana just held her hand up causing the woman to gasp, "Oh, my, god." She said as she took her hand, "Jai proposed!" 

Diana couldn't help the smile plastered across her face, "Last night." 

"Congratulations." Annie hugged her friend, when she pulled back she continued, "I would love to stay and chat, but... I have an appointment." And with that she left the DPD. 

Diana couldn't stop smiling, everything was perfect in her life. 

* 

A few hours later Diana's world came crashing down. 

It started with a sullen Joan calling her into her office. Joan delivered her grave news as gently as she could. 

If there was such a way to gently deliver the news of a fiancé's death. 

By the end Joan gave the woman the rest of the week off, and Diana silently packed her things and left. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone re-reading this will not the absence of some previously included text. Going through the series again made me change the approach. And for certain stories I don't like flashbacks. My apologies. It will feature in a future chapter.


End file.
